Puerto Vallarta to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes is about 356 road miles (573 km): roughly 6 h 10 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Distance | 356 mi (573 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 10 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-200 → MEX-200D → MEX-70D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-80D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 → AGS 19 |
| Mexican states on the route | Jalisco, Nayarit, Aguascalientes |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-200D, MEX-70D, MEX-15D, MEX-80D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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 San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes is like
MEX-15D (86 mi) and MEX-80D (73 mi) carry about 45% of the 356 miles. It runs through 3 states: Jalisco, Nayarit, Aguascalientes. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-200D, MEX-70D and MEX-15D. Of the 7 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Puerto Vallarta to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
| 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 |
| connecting roads | 284–285 | 1 | Jalisco |
| local roads | 285–297 | 12 | Jalisco |
| MEX-45D | 297–310 | 13 | Jalisco |
| MEX-45 | 310–340 | 30 | Jalisco, Aguascalientes |
| local roads | 340–343 | 3 | Aguascalientes |
| MEX-45 | 343–347 | 4 | Aguascalientes |
| AGS 19 | 347–355 | 8 | Aguascalientes |
| local roads | 355–356 | 1 | Aguascalientes |
- Mile 16 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
- Mile 129 of this route: Nayarit → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 314 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
Places worth a stop between Puerto Vallarta and San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ixtlán del Rio (mile 118), Aguascalientes Cathedral (mile 329)
- Nature and outdoors: Rincón de Guayabitos (mile 49)
- Museums and history: Ixtlán del Rio (mile 118), Guachimontones (mile 163), Casa Museo López Portillo (mile 193), Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (mile 196), Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 278), Aguascalientes Cathedral (mile 329)
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
Known locally as Los Toriles, the Ixtlán del Río site is famous for a temple with a fully circular floor plan, rare in Mesoamerica. People lived here from about 300 BC to AD 600, and an introductory gallery explains the finds.
Guachimontones
About 40 circular buildings and two ball courts spread over 20 hectares at Guachimontones, outside Teuchitlán. INAH calls it western Mexico's first large population center, dating back to around 1000 BC.
Casa Museo López Portillo
Opened on May 10, 1982, this house museum in Guadalajara's historic center showcases decorative arts and promotes work by young artists from the metro area.
Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque has two main ceramics museums, and this is one of them: the Museo Regional de la Cerámica, on Independencia Street in the center of town. The other is the Pantaleón Panduro Museum.
Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos
Pilgrims come from far and wide to San Juan de los Lagos to see the small image of the Virgin kept in this cathedral basilica, built between 1732 and 1769. Inside are Gothic-style ribbed vaults and a silver-framed Way of the Cross.
Aguascalientes Cathedral
The cathedral of Aguascalientes stands on the Plaza de la Patria in the city's historic center.
When you get to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
Santuario del Cristo Roto, San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
A 28-meter broken Christ, the Cristo Roto, stands on an island in the Presidente Calles dam at San José de Gracia, reachable only by boat. Sculptors Erasmo Aguilar and Miguel Romo Santino made it to recall what the town lost when the dam was built.
More drives to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Jerez, Zacatecas to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- El Rosario, Sinaloa to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Tepatitlán to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Amatitán to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Ajijic to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Tequila to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
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 is the drive from Puerto Vallarta to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes?
About 6 h 10 min of driving without stops, over 356 miles.
How far is San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes from Puerto Vallarta by car?
About 356 miles (573 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 San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes?
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 San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes?
The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Puerto Vallarta to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes use?
In order: MEX-200, MEX-200D, MEX-70D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-80D, MEX-45D, MEX-45 and AGS 19. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Puerto Vallarta and San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes?
Closest to the road: Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 118, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (museum, mile 196, 1 mi from the route); Aguascalientes Cathedral (cathedral, mile 329, 0.1 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.