The Wayro route from Tecolutla to Jalpa is 520 miles (837 km), about 9 h 3 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 520 mi (837 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 3 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-132D → MEX-132 → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-70 |
| Mexican states on the route | Veracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-180D, MEX-130D, MEX-132D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.8 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 Tecolutla to Jalpa is like
MEX-45D (142 mi) and MEX-132D (88 mi) carry about 44% of the 520 miles. MEX-180D, MEX-132D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-180, MEX-132, MEX-45, MEX-70 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 9 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tecolutla to Jalpa, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-180 | 1–18 | 17 | Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 18–19 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-180D | 19–42 | 23 | Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 42–44 | 2 | Veracruz |
| MEX-132D | 44–132 | 88 | Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo |
| MEX-132 | 132–155 | 23 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-M40D | 155–215 | 60 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 215–216 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-57D | 216–251 | 35 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro |
| MEX-47D | 251–304 | 53 | Querétaro, Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 304–446 | 142 | Guanajuato, Jalisco |
| MEX-45 | 446–461 | 15 | Jalisco, Aguascalientes |
| local roads | 461–468 | 7 | Aguascalientes |
| MEX-70 | 468–519 | 51 | Aguascalientes, Zacatecas |
| local roads | 519–520 | 1 | Zacatecas |
- Mile 53 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 107 of this route: Puebla → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 174 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 188 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 217 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 250 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 291 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 401 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 450 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
- Mile 503 of this route: Aguascalientes → Zacatecas (state line)
Stops between Tecolutla and Jalpa
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Descubre (mile 462), La Santa Cruz (mile 496)
- Nature and outdoors: El Cimatario National Park (mile 287), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 293)
- Museums and history: El Tajín (mile 24), Museo del Ferrocarril (mile 127), Museo Descubre (mile 462), Aguascalientes Cathedral (mile 462), La Santa Cruz (mile 496)
El Tajín
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Veracruz, El Tajín peaked from the early 9th to the early 13th century. Look for the Pyramid of the Niches, elaborately carved reliefs on columns and friezes, and some of the site's 17 ballcourts.
Museo del Ferrocarril
This former railway station on the old Hidalgo Railroad line to Mexico City now works as a museum, with photographs of its construction and the office and bookkeeping objects used in its day.
Atlantean figures
Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents devouring skeletons.
El Cimatario National Park
El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.
Cerro de las Campanas
Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.
Museo Descubre
Museo Descubre is a hands-on, interactive museum in the city of Aguascalientes whose spiral-shaped interior leads inward along various paths of knowledge.
Aguascalientes Cathedral
The cathedral of Aguascalientes stands on the Plaza de la Patria in the city's historic center.
La Santa Cruz
In Calvillo's town center, La Santa Cruz is a cultural and monumental complex with Catholic and historical themes devoted to Calvillo's role in the Cristero War of 1926; it opened in 2021.
When you get to Jalpa
Museo Comunitario Profr. Arturo Reyes Viramontes
The Museo Comunitario Profr. Arturo Reyes Viramontes is a community museum in the municipality of Jalpa, in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, named for teacher Arturo Reyes Viramontes.
More drives to Jalpa
From Tecolutla to other places in Mexico
- Tecolutla to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tecolutla to Omitlán
- Tecolutla to Otumba
- Tecolutla to Jilotepec
- Tecolutla to Zimapán
- Tecolutla to Atlatlahucan
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tecolutla to Jalpa?
About 9 h 3 min of driving without stops, over 520 miles.
How far is Jalpa from Tecolutla by car?
About 520 miles (837 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 Tecolutla to Jalpa?
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 Tecolutla to Jalpa?
The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; 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 Tecolutla to Jalpa use?
In order: MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-132D, MEX-132, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-45 and MEX-70. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Tecolutla and Jalpa?
Closest to the road: Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 204, 1 mi from the route); Museo Descubre (museum, mile 462, 0.8 mi from the route); La Santa Cruz (museum, mile 496, 0.3 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.