Tlaxco to Pinos Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tlaxco to Pinos is 370 miles (596 km), about 7 h 19 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Tlaxcala — 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; San Luis Potosí — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Zacatecas is the Mexican state that contains Pinos. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Museo del Ferrocarril de ApanAqueduct of Padre TemblequeTulaHistoric Monuments Zone of QuerétaroCasa de la CorregidoraFormer hacienda of ChichimequillasEl Gogorrón National ParkCatedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, San Luis PotosíTeatro de la PazTlaxcoPinos
Route from Tlaxco to Pinos with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance370 mi (596 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 19 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → MEX-49 → ZAC 291
Mexican states on the routeTlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), San Luis Potosí (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-M40D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 14.8 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 Tlaxco to Pinos is like

MEX-57 (109 mi) and MEX-57D (87 mi) carry about 53% of the 370 miles. MEX-M40D, MEX-57D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-49 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 7 states: Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tlaxco to Pinos, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–3434Tlaxcala, Hidalgo
MEX-M40D34–11278Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-57D112–19987Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-57199–308109Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí
connecting roads308–3113San Luis Potosí
MEX-49311–35342San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas
connecting roads353–3541Zacatecas
ZAC 291354–36814Zacatecas
local roads368–3702Zacatecas
  • Mile 14 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 41 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 53 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 70 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 85 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 113 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 146 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 207 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 260 of this route: Guanajuato → San Luis Potosí (state line)
  • Mile 342 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Tlaxco and Pinos

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo del Ferrocarril de Apan (mile 25)
  • Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 286)
  • Museums and history: Museo del Ferrocarril de Apan (mile 25), Tula (mile 101), Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 192)

Museo del Ferrocarril de Apan

Mile 25 · Museum · 0.1 mi from the route

Set in Apan's old train station on the former Mexico City–Veracruz line, this railroad museum preserves the town's history.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 50 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

Built by Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque between 1554 and 1572, this 16th-century water system runs more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba. Its tallest arcade at Tepeyahualco reaches almost 40 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 2015.

Tula

Mile 101 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.

Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro

Mile 183 · Old town · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Querétaro's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, pairs the Spaniards' grid of streets with the winding lanes of the old Indigenous quarters. Walk it for Baroque churches and mansions of the 17th and 18th centuries and the city's landmark aqueduct.

Casa de la Corregidora

Mile 184 · Building · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Completed in 1770 as Querétaro's royal houses and town hall, the Casa de la Corregidora is where Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, held there in 1810, sent word of danger to Miguel Hidalgo. After independence it became the state government palace.

Former hacienda of Chichimequillas

Mile 192 · Historic site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Discalced Carmelite friars founded this hacienda around 1690 to shelter travelers on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and to farm. Its two-story stone and lime main house, finished in 1813, wraps around a central courtyard beside a chapel.

El Gogorrón National Park

Mile 286 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Straddling San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato near Villa de Reyes, this national park offers rugged rock formations, mountain scenery and thermal springs, with camping, hiking and mountain biking.

Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, San Luis Potosí

Mile 307 · Religious building · 1 mi from the route

The Basilica Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic church on the Calzada de Guadalupe in the historic center of San Luis Potosí.

Teatro de la Paz

Mile 308 · Theatre building · 1 mi from the route

Built between 1889 and 1894 and opened on December 4, 1894, San Luis Potosí's Teatro de la Paz is a historic monument listed by INAH.

More drives to Pinos

From Tlaxco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tlaxco to Pinos?

About 7 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 370 miles.

How far is Pinos from Tlaxco by car?

About 370 miles (596 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 Tlaxco to Pinos?

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 Tlaxco to Pinos?

The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala 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; San Luis Potosí 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 Tlaxco to Pinos use?

In order: MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, MEX-49 and ZAC 291. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Tlaxco and Pinos?

Closest to the road: Museo del Ferrocarril de Apan (museum, mile 25, 0.1 mi from the route); Tula (archaeological site, mile 101, 1 mi from the route); Teatro de la Paz (theatre building, mile 308, 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.