Toluca to Apizaco Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Toluca to Apizaco is 118 miles (190 km), about 2 h 28 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Mexico City — 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 Apizaco. See the full advisory for current details.
Los PinosMuseo de Arte PopularValvanera Cathedral, Mexico CityZoológico de San Juan de AragónPaleontological Museum in TocuilaTexcoco CathedralLos Volcanes Biosphere ReserveAqueduct of Padre TemblequeTolucaApizaco
Route from Toluca to Apizaco with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance118 mi (190 km)
Driving time, no stops2 h 28 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-15 → MEX-15D → Viaducto → MEX-136D → MEX-136
Mexican states on the routeState of Mexico (Level 2), Mexico City (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-15D, MEX-136D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 4.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 Toluca to Apizaco is like

MEX-136 (59 mi) and MEX-15D (20 mi) carry about 67% of the 118 miles. MEX-15D, MEX-136D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-15, MEX-136 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: State of Mexico, Mexico City, Tlaxcala. Of the 8 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Toluca to Apizaco, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
MEX-150–1111State of Mexico
MEX-15D11–3120State of Mexico, Mexico City
connecting roads31–354Mexico City
Viaducto35–416Mexico City
connecting roads41–476Mexico City
MEX-136D47–5710State of Mexico
connecting roads57–592State of Mexico
MEX-13659–11859State of Mexico, Tlaxcala
  • Mile 23 of this route: State of Mexico → Mexico City (state line)
  • Mile 47 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 73 of this route: State of Mexico → Tlaxcala (state line)

Stops between Toluca and Apizaco

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Los Pinos (mile 34), Zoológico de San Juan de Aragón (mile 45), Paleontological Museum in Tocuila (mile 58), Texcoco Cathedral (mile 59), Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (mile 75)
  • Nature and outdoors: Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (mile 75)
  • Museums and history: Los Pinos (mile 34), Museo de Arte Popular (mile 38), Valvanera Cathedral, Mexico City (mile 40), Paleontological Museum in Tocuila (mile 58), Texcoco Cathedral (mile 59)
  • With kids: Zoológico de San Juan de Aragón (mile 45)

Los Pinos

Mile 34 · Museum · 0.7 mi from the route

In Chapultepec Forest, Los Pinos served as the official residence and office of Mexico's presidents from 1934 to 2018.

Museo de Arte Popular

Mile 38 · Folk art museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In an old firehouse in Mexico City's historic center, the Museo de Arte Popular shows Mexican folk art and crafts: textiles, pottery, glass, piñatas, alebrijes and furniture.

Valvanera Cathedral, Mexico City

Mile 40 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route

Southeast of the Zócalo at Correo Mayor and República de Uruguay, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Valvanera once belonged to the Convent of Santo Niño Perdido, founded in 1573.

Zoológico de San Juan de Aragón

Mile 45 · Zoo · 0.9 mi from the route

Opened on November 20, 1964, near the San Juan de Aragón forest in Mexico City, this zoo was designed with a radial layout of semicircular exhibits that let visitors see animals from any angle.

Paleontological Museum in Tocuila

Mile 58 · 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.

Texcoco Cathedral

Mile 59 · Cathedral · 0.1 mi from the route

Texcoco's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception occupies a former convent built by the Franciscans in the 16th century, one of the order's early convent complexes in the Americas.

Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve

Mile 75 · 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.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 79 · Aqueduct · 17 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

When you get to Apizaco

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, Apizaco

Basilica · in Apizaco

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.

Museo Casa de Piedra

Railway museum · in Apizaco

Apizaco's old railroad station, dating from 1916, now houses the Museo Casa de Piedra. Inside, photographs and documents trace the town's history, especially its long ties to the railroads.

Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia

Convent · in Apizaco

The ruined walls of this 16th-century Franciscan convent in Atlihuetzia rise as high as 21 meters beside the 17th-century Purísima Concepción church. The site also holds a sanctuary to Cristóbal, honored as the first Catholic child martyr in the Americas.

More drives to Apizaco

From Toluca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Toluca to Apizaco?

About 2 h 28 min of driving without stops, over 118 miles.

How far is Apizaco from Toluca by car?

About 118 miles (190 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 Toluca to Apizaco?

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 Toluca to Apizaco?

The U.S. State Department rates State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Mexico City 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 Toluca to Apizaco use?

In order: MEX-15, MEX-15D, Viaducto, MEX-136D and MEX-136. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Toluca and Apizaco?

Closest to the road: Los Pinos (museum, mile 34, 0.7 mi from the route); Texcoco Cathedral (cathedral, mile 59, 0.1 mi from the route); Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (biosphere reserve, mile 75, 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.