Tepotzotlán to Ixtenco Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tepotzotlán to Ixtenco is 114 miles (183 km), about 2 h 29 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Tlaxcala is the Mexican state that contains Ixtenco. See the full advisory for current details.
Historic center of Mexico CityEl Tepeyac National ParkCasa de Morelos, EcatepecPaleontological Museum in TocuilaCerrito de Los MelonesMolino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National ParkTepetlaoztocLos Volcanes Biosphere ReserveBasílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, ApizacoTepotzotlánIxtenco
Route from Tepotzotlán to Ixtenco with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance114 mi (183 km)
Driving time, no stops2 h 29 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-57 → MEX-142 → MEX-136
Mexican states on the routeState of Mexico (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2)
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 4.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 insuranceRequired 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 Tepotzotlán to Ixtenco is like

MEX-136 (82 mi) and MEX-142 (9 mi) carry about 80% of the 114 miles. The route stays on free federal roads (libre): MEX-57, MEX-142, MEX-136. It runs through 2 states: State of Mexico, Tlaxcala. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tepotzotlán to Ixtenco, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–33State of Mexico
MEX-573–74State of Mexico
connecting roads7–92State of Mexico
local roads9–2213State of Mexico
MEX-14222–319State of Mexico
connecting roads31–321State of Mexico
MEX-13632–11482State of Mexico, Tlaxcala
  • Mile 47 of this route: State of Mexico → Tlaxcala (state line)

Stops between Tepotzotlán and Ixtenco

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Casa de Morelos, Ecatepec (mile 19), Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (mile 49)
  • Nature and outdoors: El Tepeyac National Park (mile 18), Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park (mile 36), Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (mile 49)
  • Museums and history: Casa de Morelos, Ecatepec (mile 19), Paleontological Museum in Tocuila (mile 32), Cerrito de Los Melones (mile 34), Tepetlaoztoc (mile 39), Basílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, Apizaco (mile 93)

Historic center of Mexico City

Mile 9 · Old town · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.

El Tepeyac National Park

Mile 18 · National Park of Mexico · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Decreed in 1937 on reforested slopes of the Sierra de Guadalupe, including Cerro del Tepeyac, this national park was created for rest and recreation, with views toward Mexico City and the old Lake Texcoco plain.

Casa de Morelos, Ecatepec

Mile 19 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Also called the Centro Comunitario Casa de Morelos, the Casa de Morelos is a museum in the municipality of Ecatepec de Morelos dedicated to José María Morelos y Pavón.

Paleontological Museum in Tocuila

Mile 32 · Paleontological museum · 1 mi from the route

The Paleontological Museum in Tocuila, in Texcoco, State of Mexico, is a fossil museum displaying part of a rich deposit of Late Pleistocene animals from the Americas.

Cerrito de Los Melones

Mile 34 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Named for the place where it sits, Cerrito de los Melones, the Ahuehuetitlán archaeological zone of ruler Nezahualcóyotl's palace is one of the few explored traces of the great pre-Hispanic city of Acolhuacan.

Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park

Mile 36 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

Named for Antonio Flores de Valdés, who inherited the estate in 1642, this former hacienda and mill near Texcoco became a national park in 1937. Visitors walk among its ruins, the San Joaquín church remains and a chapel built on rock.

Tepetlaoztoc

Mile 39 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Tepetlaoztoc, also spelled Tepetlaoxtoc, was an Aztec-Nahua settlement of the Late Postclassic period in central Mexico, and it stayed occupied into the colonial era.

Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve

Mile 49 · Biosphere reserve · 0.6 mi from the route

Surrounding the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Los Volcanes is a UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, where North American and tropical wildlife zones meet.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, Apizaco

Mile 93 · Basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In the city of Apizaco, this Catholic basilica (Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia) was begun in the third decade of the 20th century and completed in 1961.

When you get to Ixtenco

Museo Nacional del Títere

Museum · in Ixtenco

On the main square of Huamantla, the National Puppet Museum (Museo Nacional del Títere) fills eight galleries with puppets from Mexico and abroad, including pieces tied to the Rosete Aranda family, whose company toured Mexico for generations.

More drives to Ixtenco

From Tepotzotlán to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tepotzotlán to Ixtenco?

About 2 h 29 min of driving without stops, over 114 miles.

How far is Ixtenco from Tepotzotlán by car?

About 114 miles (183 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 Tepotzotlán to Ixtenco?

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 Tepotzotlán to Ixtenco?

The U.S. State Department rates State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Tepotzotlán to Ixtenco use?

In order: MEX-57, MEX-142 and MEX-136. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Tepotzotlán and Ixtenco?

Closest to the road: Casa de Morelos, Ecatepec (museum, mile 19, 1 mi from the route); Cerrito de Los Melones (archaeological site, mile 34, 1 mi from the route); Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (biosphere reserve, mile 49, 0.6 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.