San Juan de los Lagos to Amatitán Road Trip: Route & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from San Juan de los Lagos to Amatitán is 117 miles (189 km), about 2 h 7 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Jalisco is the Mexican state that contains Amatitán. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Teocaltitan Archaeological SiteMuseo Regional de la Ceramica, TlaquepaqueCasa Museo López PortilloParque Metropolitano de GuadalajaraSan Juan de los LagosAmatitán
Route from San Juan de los Lagos to Amatitán with the 4 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance117 mi (189 km)
Driving time, no stops2 h 7 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15
Mexican states on the routeJalisco (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 4.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below4

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 San Juan de los Lagos to Amatitán is like

MEX-80D (81 mi) and MEX-15 (23 mi) carry about 89% of the 117 miles. MEX-80D, MEX-15D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-15 is a free federal road (libre). Of the 4 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from San Juan de los Lagos to Amatitán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Jalisco
MEX-80D2–8381Jalisco
MEX-15D83–9411Jalisco
MEX-1594–11723Jalisco

Stops between San Juan de los Lagos and Amatitán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (mile 93)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (mile 93)
  • Museums and history: Teocaltitan Archaeological Site (mile 9), Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (mile 84), Casa Museo López Portillo (mile 88)

Teocaltitan Archaeological Site

Mile 9 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque

Mile 84 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

On Independencia Street in central Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, the Museo Regional de la Cerámica is one of the city's two main ceramics museums, alongside the Pantaleón Panduro Museum.

Casa Museo López Portillo

Mile 88 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara

Mile 93 · Park · 0.9 mi from the route

Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara is a public park in Zapopan, Jalisco, that hosts many events, including concerts, outdoor movie screenings and food festivals.

More drives to Amatitán

From San Juan de los Lagos to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from San Juan de los Lagos to Amatitán?

About 2 h 7 min of driving without stops, over 117 miles.

How far is Amatitán from San Juan de los Lagos by car?

About 117 miles (189 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 San Juan de los Lagos to Amatitán?

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 San Juan de los Lagos to Amatitán?

The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from San Juan de los Lagos to Amatitán use?

In order: MEX-80D, MEX-15D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between San Juan de los Lagos and Amatitán?

Closest to the road: Teocaltitan Archaeological Site (archaeological site, mile 9, 2 mi from the route); Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (museum, mile 84, 1 mi from the route); Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (park, mile 93, 0.9 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.