Toluca to Ixtenco Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Toluca to Ixtenco is 140 miles (225 km), about 2 h 54 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 Ixtenco. See the full advisory for current details.
Chapultepec ZooPolyforum Cultural SiqueirosMuseo del BicentenarioEx Teresa Arte Actual MuseumZoológico de San Juan de AragónTexcoco CathedralMolino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National ParkLos Volcanes Biosphere ReserveMuseo Casa de PiedraTolucaIxtenco
Route from Toluca to Ixtenco with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance140 mi (225 km)
Driving time, no stops2 h 54 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 5.6 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 Toluca to Ixtenco is like

MEX-136 (81 mi) and MEX-15D (20 mi) carry about 72% of the 140 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 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Toluca to Ixtenco, 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-13659–14081State 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 Ixtenco

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros (mile 36), Zoológico de San Juan de Aragón (mile 45), Texcoco Cathedral (mile 59), Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (mile 75)
  • Nature and outdoors: Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park (mile 62), Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (mile 75)
  • Museums and history: Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros (mile 36), Museo del Bicentenario (mile 39), Ex Teresa Arte Actual Museum (mile 40), Texcoco Cathedral (mile 59), Museo Casa de Piedra (mile 118)
  • With kids: Chapultepec Zoo (mile 34), Zoológico de San Juan de Aragón (mile 45)

Chapultepec Zoo

Mile 34 · Zoo · 1 mi from the route

Founded on July 6, 1923, by biologist Alfonso Luis Herrera, Chapultepec Zoo sits inside Mexico City's Chapultepec Park.

Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros

Mile 36 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

Designed and decorated by David Alfaro Siqueiros in the 1960s, the Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros stands by the World Trade Center in Mexico City and holds his huge mural La Marcha de la Humanidad.

Museo del Bicentenario

Mile 39 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

On the 36th floor of the Torre Latinoamericana, the Museo del Bicentenario displays documents, maps, photographs and objects from New Spain through Independence and the Revolution.

Ex Teresa Arte Actual Museum

Mile 40 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Ex Teresa Arte Actual is a museum housed in a building in the Centro Histórico, the historic center of Mexico City.

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.

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.

Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park

Mile 62 · 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.

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.

Museo Casa de Piedra

Mile 118 · Railway museum · 2 mi from the route

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.

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 Toluca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Toluca to Ixtenco?

About 2 h 54 min of driving without stops, over 140 miles.

How far is Ixtenco from Toluca by car?

About 140 miles (225 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 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 Toluca to Ixtenco?

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 Ixtenco 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 Ixtenco?

Closest to the road: Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros (museum, mile 36, 0.4 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.