Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral, Mexico Road Trip

By admin, 30 September, 2026

The Wayro route from Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral is 522 miles (840 km), about 10 h 36 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 152 on this route, near the El Paso port of entry.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Chihuahua — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Chihuahua is the Mexican state that contains Hidalgo del Parral. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
City of Rocks State ParkPrehistoric Trackways National MonumentCathedral of the Immaculate Heart of MaryOrgan Mountains–Desert Peaks National MonumentFranklin Mountains State ParkEl Paso Museum of ArtChamizal National MemorialCathedral of ChihuahuaU.S.–Mexico borderSilver CityHidalgo del Parral
Route from Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots) and the approximate U.S.–Mexico border crossing (red square).
Distance522 mi (840 km)
Driving time, no stops10 h 36 min
Main roads, in orderUS-180 → I-10 → US-85 → MEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-16 → MEX-24
Border crossingabout mile 152 of this route, Texas → Chihuahua (near the El Paso, TX port of entry)
Mexican states on the routeChihuahua (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 20.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Hidalgo del Parral

PassportPassport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land
FMM entry permitRequired for this trip: Hidalgo del Parral is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed
Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP)Required for a U.S.-registered vehicle this far into Mexico
Mexican auto insuranceRequired for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you cross

Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.

Crossing at El Paso

El Paso and Ciudad Juárez are joined by several Rio Grande bridges, including Paso del Norte downtown for pedestrians and northbound cars, Stanton Street with a northbound SENTRI lane, and the Bridge of the Americas for passenger vehicles and trucks. Paso del Norte also has Ready Lanes.

Sources: [1]

What the drive from Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral is like

MEX-45D (121 mi) and MEX-24 (114 mi) carry about 45% of the 522 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through New Mexico, Texas for about 152 miles; after the border at El Paso you have about 370 miles left in Mexico. The Mexican leg uses MEX-45D, a toll highway (cuota). Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11New Mexico
US-1801–5352New Mexico
I-1053–14794New Mexico, Texas
US-85147–1536Texas, Chihuahua
connecting roads153–1541Chihuahua
local roads154–16612Chihuahua
MEX-45166–23569Chihuahua
connecting roads235–2372Chihuahua
MEX-45D237–350113Chihuahua
MEX-45350–36414Chihuahua
MEX-45D364–3728Chihuahua
connecting roads372–3786Chihuahua
MEX-16378–40527Chihuahua
connecting roads405–4061Chihuahua
MEX-24406–520114Chihuahua
local roads520–5222Chihuahua
  • Mile 135 of this route: New Mexico → Texas (state line)
  • Mile 152 of this route: Texas → Chihuahua (international border)

Stops between Silver City and Hidalgo del Parral

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): El Paso Museum of Art (mile 153)
  • Nature and outdoors: City of Rocks State Park (mile 27), Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument (mile 116), Franklin Mountains State Park (mile 144)
  • Museums and history: Prehistoric Trackways National Monument (mile 104), Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (mile 111), Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument (mile 116), El Paso Museum of Art (mile 153), Cathedral of Chihuahua (mile 384)

City of Rocks State Park

Mile 27 · State park · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rock pinnacles up to 40 feet tall, formed from a volcanic eruption about 34.9 million years ago, line up like city streets in this Chihuahuan Desert park, which offers campsites among the rocks, trails, an observatory and a desert botanical garden.

Prehistoric Trackways National Monument

Mile 104 · National monument · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In the Robledo Mountains near Las Cruces, this BLM monument protects 280-million-year-old Early Permian footprints of amphibians, reptiles, and insects, left long before the dinosaurs, and offers hiking.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Mile 111 · Catholic cathedral · 1 mi from the route

The mother church of the Diocese of Las Cruces stands on South Espina Street and holds regular Masses in both English and Spanish.

Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument

Mile 116 · National monument · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rocky spires of the Organ Mountains rise to about 9,000 feet above the Chihuahuan Desert in this BLM-managed monument near Las Cruces, where trails invite hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and camping, with exhibits at Dripping Springs Visitor Center.

Franklin Mountains State Park

Mile 144 · State park · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Covering about 27,000 acres inside El Paso, this Texas state park offers more than 100 miles of desert trails for hiking and mountain biking, plus rock climbing at McKelligon Canyon and the Tom Mays Unit, where camping is available.

El Paso Museum of Art

Mile 153 · Art museum · 0.2 mi from the route

Founded in 1959 and set in downtown El Paso, this art museum holds more than 7,000 works strong in American, European, and Mexican art, including Kress Collection paintings by Botticelli and Canaletto and a notable group of Mexican retablos.

Chamizal National Memorial

Mile 154 · National Memorial of the United States · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Along the border in El Paso, this memorial honors the peaceful settlement of a century-long U.S.–Mexico boundary dispute. Stop for borderlands art in the Franklin G. Smith Gallery, walking paths, and ballet folklórico performances.

Cathedral of Chihuahua

Mile 384 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Construction on this Baroque cathedral began in 1725 and stretched over more than a century. It anchors the Plaza de Armas in downtown Chihuahua, and a museum of sacred art occupies its basement.

When you get to Hidalgo del Parral

Hidalgo del Parral is a silver-mining city in southern Chihuahua, on the road between Chihuahua city and Durango, that grew up around the La Prieta mine. It is also where Pancho Villa was killed in an ambush on July 20, 1923, and the city marks that history each July with the Jornadas Villistas festival.

  • Museo Francisco Villa: The museum occupies the building where Villa's assassins hid before the 1923 ambush. source
  • Mina La Prieta: The mine that gave rise to the city worked for 345 years, producing silver, copper, zinc and gold. source
  • Palacio Alvarado: Built between 1898 and 1904 by architect Luis E. Rouvier for mine owner Pedro Alvarado, the mansion now serves as a cultural center. source

More drives to Hidalgo del Parral

From Silver City to other places in Mexico

All routes to Hidalgo del Parral, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Hidalgo del Parral, Mexico from the U.S.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral?

About 10 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 522 miles.

How far is Hidalgo del Parral from Silver City by car?

About 522 miles (840 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.

Where does the Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral drive cross into Mexico?

At about mile 152 of this route, from Texas into Chihuahua, near the El Paso port of entry.

Do I need a permit to drive my car from Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral?

Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car this far into Mexico. You also need Mexican auto insurance and a passport book or card. An FMM entry permit is required too.

Is it safe to drive from Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral?

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

What roads does the drive from Silver City to Hidalgo del Parral use?

In order: US-180, I-10, US-85, MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-16 and MEX-24. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Silver City and Hidalgo del Parral?

Closest to the road: Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (catholic cathedral, mile 111, 1 mi from the route); El Paso Museum of Art (art museum, mile 153, 0.2 mi from the route); Chamizal National Memorial (National Memorial of the United States, mile 154, 2 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.