The Wayro route from Puerto Vallarta to Mineral de Pozos is 432 miles (695 km), about 7 h 45 min of driving without stops.
| Distance by road | 432 mi (695 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 45 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-200 → MEX-200D → MEX-70D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-80D → MEX-80 → MEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-110D → MEX-110 → MEX-51 → GTO 100 |
| Mexican states on the route | Jalisco, Nayarit, Guanajuato |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-200D, MEX-70D, MEX-15D, MEX-80D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving this route in a car with U.S. plates
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required: this route is outside the zones where U.S.-registered cars can skip the temporary import permit (Baja California, Baja California Sur and part of Sonora) |
|---|---|
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you drive |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
What the drive from Puerto Vallarta to Mineral de Pozos is like
MEX-15D (86 mi) and MEX-80D (73 mi) carry about 37% of the 432 miles. It runs through 3 states: Jalisco, Nayarit, Guanajuato. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-200D, MEX-70D and MEX-15D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Puerto Vallarta to Mineral de Pozos: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Jalisco |
| MEX-200 | 1–6 | 5 | Jalisco |
| MEX-200D | 6–59 | 53 | Jalisco, Nayarit |
| MEX-70D | 59–111 | 52 | Nayarit |
| MEX-15D | 111–177 | 66 | Nayarit, Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 177–189 | 12 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 189–209 | 20 | Jalisco |
| connecting roads | 209–211 | 2 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80D | 211–284 | 73 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80 | 284–298 | 14 | Jalisco |
| MEX-45D | 298–335 | 37 | Jalisco, Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 335–336 | 1 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45 | 336–349 | 13 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-110D | 349–358 | 9 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-110 | 358–395 | 37 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-51 | 395–426 | 31 | Guanajuato |
| GTO 100 | 426–432 | 6 | Guanajuato |
- Mile 16 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
- Mile 129 of this route: Nayarit → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 316 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Puerto Vallarta and Mineral de Pozos
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ixtlán del Rio (mile 118), Statue of Minerva, Guadalajara (mile 191), Alhóndiga de Granaditas (mile 362), Miguel Hidalgo House, Dolores Hidalgo (mile 395)
- Nature and outdoors: Rincón de Guayabitos (mile 49), Parque Walt Disney (mile 194)
- Museums and history: Ixtlán del Rio (mile 118), Museo del Tequila y el Mariachi (mile 193), Teocaltitan Archaeological Site (mile 272), Alhóndiga de Granaditas (mile 362), Miguel Hidalgo House, Dolores Hidalgo (mile 395)
Rincón de Guayabitos
Gentle waves are the draw at Rincón de Guayabitos, where roughly two kilometers of shoreline make this Compostela, Nayarit, beach town a favorite escape for people from Tepic and Guadalajara.
Ixtlán del Rio
Between roughly 300 BC and AD 600, people made their home at Los Toriles in Ixtlán del Río. Today visitors come for its circular temple, a rare design in Mesoamerica.
Statue of Minerva, Guadalajara
At a roundabout fountain in Guadalajara, a bronze statue of Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, stands on a large pedestal inscribed with the names of 18 notable citizens.
Museo del Tequila y el Mariachi
The Museo del Tequila y el Mariachi is a space devoted to showing and sharing the culture of tequila and mariachi, both part of Mexico's heritage and cultural identity.
Parque Walt Disney
Despite sharing a name with Walt Disney, this recreational space in Guadalajara's Colonia Olímpica has no direct theme tied to Disney's amusement parks.
Teocaltitan Archaeological Site
Near Jalostotitlán in the Los Altos region, the Teocaltitán site holds pyramids, sunken patios and a ball court spread across about nine hectares, built by a people who dominated much of the area from AD 400 to 900.
Alhóndiga de Granaditas
Built from 1797 to 1809 as a granary, this building was stormed by Miguel Hidalgo's insurgents in 1810 and has been the Regional Museum of Guanajuato since 1958, with pre-Hispanic pieces and murals by José Chávez Morado.
Miguel Hidalgo House, Dolores Hidalgo
Built in 1779, the Casa de Hidalgo in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, is also known as the Museo Histórico Curato de Dolores.
More drives to Mineral de Pozos
- Celaya to Mineral de Pozos
- Salvatierra to Mineral de Pozos
- León to Mineral de Pozos
- Salamanca to Mineral de Pozos
- Irapuato to Mineral de Pozos
- Moroleón to Mineral de Pozos
From Puerto Vallarta to other places in Mexico
- Puerto Vallarta to Tecomán
- Puerto Vallarta to El Rosario, Sinaloa
- Puerto Vallarta to Tepatitlán
- Puerto Vallarta to Nochistlán
- Puerto Vallarta to San Ignacio, Sinaloa, Sinaloa
- Puerto Vallarta to Pabellón de Arteaga
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Puerto Vallarta to Mineral de Pozos?
About 7 h 45 min of driving without stops, over 432 miles.
What is the driving distance from Puerto Vallarta to Mineral de Pozos?
About 432 miles (695 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Do I need a permit to drive my U.S. car from Puerto Vallarta to Mineral de Pozos?
Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car on this route, which is outside the zones where it can be skipped. Mexican auto insurance is required for every vehicle.
Is it safe to drive from Puerto Vallarta to Mineral de Pozos?
The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Puerto Vallarta to Mineral de Pozos use?
In order: MEX-200, MEX-200D, MEX-70D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-80D, MEX-80, MEX-45D, MEX-45, MEX-110D, MEX-110, MEX-51 and GTO 100. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Puerto Vallarta and Mineral de Pozos?
Closest to the road: Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 118, 0.5 mi from the route); Alhóndiga de Granaditas (museum, mile 362, 0.2 mi from the route); Miguel Hidalgo House, Dolores Hidalgo (museum, mile 395, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.