The Wayro route from Sombrerete to Oaxtepec is 540 miles (869 km), about 9 h 27 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 540 mi (869 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 27 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → Periférico → MEX-95D → MEX-160D |
| Mexican states on the route | Zacatecas (Level 4), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Jalisco (Level 3), Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Mexico City (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-95D, MEX-115D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.6 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 Sombrerete to Oaxtepec is like
MEX-45D (202 mi) and MEX-45 (127 mi) carry about 61% of the 540 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-57 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 9 states: Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Mexico City, Morelos. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Sombrerete to Oaxtepec, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45 | 1–60 | 59 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45D | 60–72 | 12 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45 | 72–81 | 9 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45D | 81–130 | 49 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45 | 130–159 | 29 | Zacatecas, Aguascalientes |
| local roads | 159–163 | 4 | Aguascalientes |
| MEX-45 | 163–193 | 30 | Aguascalientes, Jalisco |
| MEX-45D | 193–334 | 141 | Jalisco, Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 334–335 | 1 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-47D | 335–387 | 52 | Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 387–460 | 73 | Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-57 | 460–469 | 9 | State of Mexico |
| Periférico | 469–488 | 19 | State of Mexico, Mexico City |
| connecting roads | 488–490 | 2 | Mexico City |
| MEX-95D | 490–522 | 32 | Mexico City, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 522–523 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 523–538 | 15 | Morelos |
| local roads | 538–540 | 2 | Morelos |
- Mile 135 of this route: Zacatecas → Aguascalientes (state line)
- Mile 190 of this route: Aguascalientes → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 237 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 347 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 389 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 422 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 442 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 473 of this route: State of Mexico → Mexico City (state line)
- Mile 506 of this route: Mexico City → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Sombrerete and Oaxtepec
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Nacional de la Muerte (mile 174), Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo (mile 480), Cuicuilco (mile 486), National Biodiversity Pavilion (mile 486)
- Nature and outdoors: El Cimatario National Park (mile 352), Viveros de Coyoacán (mile 479)
- Museums and history: Museo Nacional de la Muerte (mile 174), Angel of Independence (mile 475), Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo (mile 480), Cuicuilco (mile 486), National Biodiversity Pavilion (mile 486)
Historic centre of Zacatecas
Founded in 1546 after a rich silver strike, Zacatecas climbs the steep sides of a narrow valley; its UNESCO-listed center holds an 18th-century Baroque cathedral, colonial convents, the Calderón Theater and the old González Market.
Museo Nacional de la Muerte
Run by the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, the Museo Nacional de la Muerte displays objects about death in Mexican culture, drawn from a collection donated by printmaker Octavio Bajonero Gil.
El Cimatario National Park
El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.
Angel of Independence
Officially the Monumento a la Independencia, El Ángel is a victory column on Paseo de la Reforma, built in 1910 by architect Antonio Rivas Mercado for the centennial of the start of the War of Independence.
Viveros de Coyoacán
Part tree nursery, part public park, Viveros de Coyoacán covers 96 acres and was founded in the early 20th century by Miguel Ángel de Quevedo to grow seedlings for reforesting Mexico's forests.
Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo
Juan O'Gorman designed these two functionalist houses in 1931 for Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, one red and white, one blue, joined by a small rooftop bridge. Since 1986 they've been a museum about the couple and their generation.
Cuicuilco
In Mexico City's Tlalpan borough, Cuicuilco preserves a pyramid whose construction began a few centuries BCE, during the Late Preclassic period, near the old southern shore of Lake Texcoco.
National Biodiversity Pavilion
Opened in 2021 at Ciudad Universitaria in Mexico City, the National Biodiversity Pavilion is a museum about the variety of life found across Mexico.
When you get to Oaxtepec
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In Oaxtepec, the Exconvento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán is among the first convents the Dominicans built in Mexico, and its walls preserve extensive fresco painting from the colonial era.
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan
Augustinian friars began this fortress-like church and monastery in the 16th century. Part of the UNESCO-listed group of monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, its former cloister now holds a museum with 17th-century murals and religious art.
More drives to Oaxtepec
- Malinalco to Oaxtepec
- Mexico City to Oaxtepec
- Metepec to Oaxtepec
- Toluca to Oaxtepec
- Otumba to Oaxtepec
- Taxco to Oaxtepec
From Sombrerete to other places in Mexico
- Sombrerete to Cosalá
- Sombrerete to Temacapulín
- Sombrerete to Amatitán
- Sombrerete to Ajijic
- Sombrerete to San Luis Soyatlán
- Sombrerete to Mazamitla
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Sombrerete to Oaxtepec?
About 9 h 27 min of driving without stops, over 540 miles.
How far is Oaxtepec from Sombrerete by car?
About 540 miles (869 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 Sombrerete to Oaxtepec?
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 Sombrerete to Oaxtepec?
The U.S. State Department rates Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Sombrerete to Oaxtepec use?
In order: MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, Periférico, MEX-95D and MEX-160D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Sombrerete and Oaxtepec?
Closest to the road: Museo Nacional de la Muerte (art museum, mile 174, 0.1 mi from the route); Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo (museum, mile 480, 0.3 mi from the route); Cuicuilco (archaeological site, mile 486, 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 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.