By road, Tepic and Tequisquiapan are about 379 miles (610 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 53 min of driving.
| Distance | 379 mi (610 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 53 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-110 → MEX-90 → MEX-45D → MEX-57D → QRO 4 → QRO 200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-15D, MEX-45D, MEX-57D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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.
Driving Tepic to Tequisquiapan: the shape of the trip
MEX-15D (177 mi) and MEX-45D (68 mi) carry about 65% of the 379 miles. It runs through 5 states: Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-15D, MEX-45D and MEX-57D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Tepic to Tequisquiapan: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–5 | 5 | Nayarit |
| MEX-15D | 5–110 | 105 | Nayarit, Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 110–122 | 12 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 122–194 | 72 | Jalisco, Michoacán |
| MEX-110 | 194–230 | 36 | Michoacán, Guanajuato |
| MEX-90 | 230–275 | 45 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 275–343 | 68 | Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 343–353 | 10 | Querétaro |
| QRO 4 | 353–359 | 6 | Querétaro |
| QRO 200 | 359–378 | 19 | Querétaro |
| local roads | 378–379 | 1 | Querétaro |
- Mile 62 of this route: Nayarit → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 190 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 220 of this route: Michoacán → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 334 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Tepic and Tequisquiapan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ixtlán del Rio (mile 51), Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería (mile 81)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Walt Disney (mile 127)
- Museums and history: Ixtlán del Rio (mile 51), Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería (mile 81), Teatro Degollado (mile 126), Plazuelas (mile 238), Irapuato Cathedral (mile 277), Celaya Cathedral (mile 313), Teatro de la República (mile 341), Queretaro Art Museum (mile 341)
Ixtlán del Rio
Between roughly 300 BC and AD 600, people made their home at Los Toriles in Ixtlán del Río. Today visitors come for its circular temple, a rare design in Mesoamerica.
Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería
The Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería, an interpretive museum of agave landscape and mining, is located in the municipality of Magdalena, Mexico.
Teatro Degollado
On Guadalajara's central plaza, along Belén Street between Hidalgo and Morelos avenues, the neoclassical Teatro Degollado is known for its varied performances and artistic design.
Parque Walt Disney
Despite sharing a name with Walt Disney, this recreational space in Guadalajara's Colonia Olímpica has no direct theme tied to Disney's amusement parks.
Plazuelas
Near Pénjamo, Plazuelas flourished between AD 450 and 700. Trails lead to Casas Tapadas, a platform crowned by four pyramid bases, a ball court, and rocks carved with spirals and La Maqueta, a low-relief model of Casas Tapadas.
Irapuato Cathedral
Irapuato's cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, dates from the 18th century and has a Baroque facade. It served as the seat of the local parish until 2004, when the new Diocese of Irapuato made it a cathedral.
Celaya Cathedral
The space now taken by the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the main Catholic church in Celaya, was once a chapel annexed to the Temple of St. Francis next door.
Teatro de la República
Originally named Teatro Iturbide, the Teatro de la República stands in Querétaro's historic center. The neoclassical building has a three-level hall with about 500 seats.
Queretaro Art Museum
Set in the cloister of the former San Agustín convent, the Museo de Arte de Querétaro opened in 1988 and shows paintings and sculpture across fifteen galleries.
Arriving in Tequisquiapan
Galería Libertad
Run by Querétaro's state culture department, Galería Libertad is a public gallery in the historic center of Santiago de Querétaro devoted to exhibiting, promoting and teaching the visual arts.
More drives to Tequisquiapan
- Salvatierra to Tequisquiapan
- Salamanca to Tequisquiapan
- Irapuato to Tequisquiapan
- Moroleón to Tequisquiapan
- Guanajuato to Tequisquiapan
- Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan
From Tepic to other places in Mexico
- Tepic to Amatitán
- Tepic to Ajijic
- Tepic to Tepatitlán
- Tepic to Temacapulín
- Tepic to Nochistlán
- Tepic to San Juan de los Lagos
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tepic to Tequisquiapan?
About 6 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 379 miles.
How far is Tequisquiapan from Tepic by car?
About 379 miles (610 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 Tepic to Tequisquiapan?
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 Tepic to Tequisquiapan?
The U.S. State Department rates Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Tepic to Tequisquiapan?
In order: MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-110, MEX-90, MEX-45D, MEX-57D, QRO 4 and QRO 200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Tepic to Tequisquiapan?
Closest to the road: Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 51, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería (museum, mile 81, 0.5 mi from the route); Queretaro Art Museum (art museum, mile 341, 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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.