Querétaro to Guadalupe, Zacatecas Road Trip: Stops & Tolls

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Querétaro to Guadalupe, Zacatecas is 245 miles (394 km), about 4 h 21 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Zacatecas is the Mexican state that contains Guadalupe, Zacatecas. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Celaya CathedralCentro de Artes VisualesMuseo de la InsurgenciaQuerétaroGuadalupe, Zacatecas
Route from Querétaro to Guadalupe, Zacatecas with the 3 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance245 mi (394 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 21 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45D → MEX-45
Mexican states on the routeQuerétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 9.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below3

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 insuranceRequired 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 Querétaro to Guadalupe, Zacatecas is like

MEX-45D (176 mi) and MEX-45 (59 mi) carry about 96% of the 245 miles. MEX-45D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-45 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 5 states: Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas. Of the 3 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Querétaro to Guadalupe, Zacatecas, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Querétaro
MEX-45D2–158156Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-45158–18830Jalisco, Aguascalientes
local roads188–1913Aguascalientes
MEX-45191–22029Aguascalientes, Zacatecas
MEX-45D220–24020Zacatecas
local roads240–2455Zacatecas
  • Mile 9 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 114 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 162 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
  • Mile 215 of this route: Aguascalientes → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Querétaro and Guadalupe, Zacatecas

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Centro de Artes Visuales (mile 176)
  • Museums and history: Celaya Cathedral (mile 29), Centro de Artes Visuales (mile 176), Museo de la Insurgencia (mile 198)

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 29 · Church building · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.

Centro de Artes Visuales

Mile 176 · Art museum · 0.2 mi from the route

Run by the Instituto Cultural de Aguascalientes, the Centro de Artes Visuales is an arts education center in the city of Aguascalientes with its own exhibition space for visual art.

Museo de la Insurgencia

Mile 198 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Set in a 17th-century estate, the Museo de la Insurgencia opened in 1964 to tell the story of Mexico's independence movement. One hall shows farm, mining and textile tools from hacienda work; another displays everyday objects from past eras.

When you get to Guadalupe, Zacatecas

Museo Toma de Zacatecas

Museum · in Guadalupe, Zacatecas

On the Cerro de la Bufa, this museum explains the military and social story behind the Taking of Zacatecas during the Mexican Revolution, along with glimpses of daily life in the city at the time.

Manuel Felguérez Museum

Art museum · in Guadalupe, Zacatecas

A former seminary begun in 1870, later a barracks and then a prison until 1995, now holds Zacatecas' Museo de Arte Abstracto Manuel Felguérez, devoted to abstract art and to the work of the painter it's named after.

Cathedral Basilica of Zacatecas

Minor basilica · in Guadalupe, Zacatecas

Dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, the Cathedral of Zacatecas is the main church of the Diocese of Zacatecas.

More drives to Guadalupe, Zacatecas

From Querétaro to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Querétaro to Guadalupe, Zacatecas?

About 4 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 245 miles.

How far is Guadalupe, Zacatecas from Querétaro by car?

About 245 miles (394 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 Querétaro to Guadalupe, Zacatecas?

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 Querétaro to Guadalupe, Zacatecas?

The U.S. State Department rates Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Querétaro to Guadalupe, Zacatecas use?

In order: MEX-45D and MEX-45. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Querétaro and Guadalupe, Zacatecas?

Closest to the road: Celaya Cathedral (church building, mile 29, 2 mi from the route); Centro de Artes Visuales (art museum, mile 176, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo de la Insurgencia (museum, mile 198, 3 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 mile 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 (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city 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.