By road, Tepic and Tlayacapan are about 492 miles (792 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 45 min of driving.
| Distance | 492 mi (792 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 45 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-55D → MEX-55 → EM 44 → MEX-200 → MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MOR 2 |
| Mexican states on the route | Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.7 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.
On the road from Tepic to Tlayacapan
MEX-15D (358 mi) and MEX-55D (34 mi) carry about 80% of the 492 miles. It runs through 5 states: Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-15D, MEX-M40D and MEX-55D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Tepic to Tlayacapan
| 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 | 122–375 | 253 | Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 375–378 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 378–412 | 34 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 412–418 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 418–423 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 423–424 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 424–432 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 432–435 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 435–440 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 440–444 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 444–459 | 15 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 459–466 | 7 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 466–472 | 6 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 472–485 | 13 | Morelos |
| MOR 2 | 485–489 | 4 | Morelos |
| local roads | 489–492 | 3 | Morelos |
- Mile 62 of this route: Nayarit → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 190 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 357 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 454 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Tepic and Tlayacapan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ixtlán del Rio (mile 51), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 377), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 453)
- Nature and outdoors: La Marquesa National Park (mile 432), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 451), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 453)
- Museums and history: Ixtlán del Rio (mile 51), Guachimontones (mile 96), Museum of Paleontology of Guadalajara (mile 126), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 377)
Ixtlán del Rio
Known locally as Los Toriles, the Ixtlán del Río site is famous for a temple with a fully circular floor plan, rare in Mesoamerica. People lived here from about 300 BC to AD 600, and an introductory gallery explains the finds.
Guachimontones
Western Mexico's first large population center, according to INAH, took shape near Teuchitlán around 1000 BC. Guachimontones stands out for its round architecture, with roughly 40 circular structures across the site.
Diana Theatre
The Diana Theatre, or Teatro Diana, is an indoor theater in Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, with seating for 2,345 people.
Museum of Paleontology of Guadalajara
Fossils are the focus at Guadalajara's Museum of Paleontology, which opened in 2000 inside Parque Agua Azul with exhibits developed alongside INAH, Mexico's national anthropology and history institute.
Cathedral of Atlacomulco
The seat of the Diocese of Atlacomulco is the Catedral de la Divina Providencia, which serves as the main Catholic church in town and takes its dedication from Divine Providence.
Ciénegas del Lerma
These marshes in the Toluca Valley are three lakes left from a wetland of about 27,000 hectares in the late 19th century. A Ramsar site since 2004, they hold dozens of endemic and threatened species and are a key stop for migratory species.
La Marquesa National Park
Set in high-altitude conifer forest along the Mexico City–Toluca highway, La Marquesa National Park offers roadside eateries, horse and ATV rentals, mountain biking and camping, and marks the site of the 1810 Battle of Monte de las Cruces.
Cumbres del Ajusco National Park
Pine and oak forests climb toward alpine meadows in Cumbres del Ajusco National Park, on Mexico City's southern edge. It draws hikers, climbers and cyclists, and it gets occasional snow, a rarity for the region.
Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
Seven lagoons, three of them permanent, sit among pine, oak and fir forest above 3,000 meters in this park, decreed in 1936 on the Morelos–State of Mexico line. Hiking, horseback riding, camping and rowboats are popular here.
Once you reach Tlayacapan
Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo
Augustinian friars began the Templo y Exconvento de San Guillermo in Totolapan in the mid-16th century; part of the UNESCO-listed Popocatépetl monasteries, it was badly damaged in the 2017 earthquake, and INAH has supervised its restoration.
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 Tlayacapan
- Atlixco to Tlayacapan
- Otumba to Tlayacapan
- Calpulalpan to Tlayacapan
- Metepec to Tlayacapan
- Toluca to Tlayacapan
- Puebla to Tlayacapan
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 Tlayacapan?
About 8 h 45 min of driving without stops, over 492 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tepic to Tlayacapan?
About 492 miles (792 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 Tlayacapan?
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 Tlayacapan?
The U.S. State Department rates Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico 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 Tepic to Tlayacapan use?
In order: MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-55D, MEX-55, EM 44, MEX-200, MEX-95D, MEX-160D and MOR 2. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tepic and Tlayacapan?
Closest to the road: Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 51, 0.5 mi from the route); Cathedral of Atlacomulco (cathedral, mile 377, 0.4 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (national park, mile 453, 0.2 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 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.