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

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Toluca to Jalpa is 349 miles (561 km), about 6 h 30 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes — 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 Jalpa. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Cathedral of AtlacomulcoEl Cimatario National ParkCerro de las CampanasCelaya CathedralMuseo DescubreMuseo EscarcegaLa Santa CruzTolucaJalpa
Route from Toluca to Jalpa with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance349 mi (561 km)
Driving time, no stops6 h 30 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-55 → MEX-55D → MEX-M40D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-70
Mexican states on the routeState of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-55D, MEX-M40D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 13.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below7

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 Jalpa is like

MEX-45D (141 mi) and MEX-47D (52 mi) carry about 55% of the 349 miles. MEX-55D, MEX-M40D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-55, MEX-45, MEX-70 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas. Of the 7 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Toluca to Jalpa, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11State of Mexico
MEX-551–109State of Mexico
MEX-55D10–3929State of Mexico
connecting roads39–423State of Mexico
MEX-M40D42–508State of Mexico
connecting roads50–511State of Mexico
MEX-5551–8130State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-47D81–13352Querétaro, Guanajuato
MEX-45D133–274141Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-45274–29016Jalisco, Aguascalientes
local roads290–2977Aguascalientes
MEX-70297–34750Aguascalientes, Zacatecas
local roads347–3492Zacatecas
  • Mile 79 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 121 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 230 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 278 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
  • Mile 332 of this route: Aguascalientes → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Toluca and Jalpa

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 40), Museo Descubre (mile 290), La Santa Cruz (mile 324)
  • Nature and outdoors: El Cimatario National Park (mile 116), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 121)
  • Museums and history: Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 40), Celaya Cathedral (mile 145), Museo Descubre (mile 290), Museo Escarcega (mile 290), La Santa Cruz (mile 324)

Cathedral of Atlacomulco

Mile 40 · Catholic cathedral · 0.2 mi from the route

Atlacomulco's cathedral, the Catedral de la Divina Providencia, is the seat of the Diocese of Atlacomulco and is dedicated to Divine Providence, making it the town's principal Catholic church.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 116 · National Park of Mexico · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 121 · National Park of Mexico · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 145 · Church building · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.

Museo Descubre

Mile 290 · Museum · 0.8 mi from the route

Museo Descubre is a hands-on, interactive museum in the city of Aguascalientes whose spiral-shaped interior leads inward along various paths of knowledge.

Museo Escarcega

Mile 290 · Art museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Eduardo Escárcega Rangel created this museum in the city of Aguascalientes to show his personal collection of paintings and prints by local, national and international artists.

La Santa Cruz

Mile 324 · Museum · 0.1 mi from the route

In Calvillo's town center, La Santa Cruz is a cultural and monumental complex with Catholic and historical themes devoted to Calvillo's role in the Cristero War of 1926; it opened in 2021.

When you get to Jalpa

Museo Comunitario Profr. Arturo Reyes Viramontes

Museum · in Jalpa

The Museo Comunitario Profr. Arturo Reyes Viramontes is a community museum in the municipality of Jalpa, in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, named for teacher Arturo Reyes Viramontes.

More drives to Jalpa

From Toluca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Toluca to Jalpa?

About 6 h 30 min of driving without stops, over 349 miles.

How far is Jalpa from Toluca by car?

About 349 miles (561 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 Jalpa?

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 Jalpa?

The U.S. State Department rates State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes 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 Toluca to Jalpa use?

In order: MEX-55, MEX-55D, MEX-M40D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-45 and MEX-70. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Toluca and Jalpa?

Closest to the road: Cathedral of Atlacomulco (catholic cathedral, mile 40, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo Descubre (museum, mile 290, 0.8 mi from the route); La Santa Cruz (museum, mile 324, 0.1 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.