The Wayro route from Tonatico to Chipilo is 138 miles (222 km), about 2 h 38 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 138 mi (222 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 38 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-55 → MEX-95 → MEX-91D → MEX-95D → MEX-94D → PUE 438D → MEX-190D |
| Mexican states on the route | State of Mexico (Level 2), Guerrero (Level 4), Morelos (Level 3), Puebla (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-91D, MEX-95D, MEX-94D, MEX-190D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 5.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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 insurance | Required 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 Tonatico to Chipilo is like
MEX-94D (38 mi) and PUE 438D (34 mi) carry about 52% of the 138 miles. MEX-91D, MEX-95D, MEX-94D, MEX-190D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-55, MEX-95 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: State of Mexico, Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla. Of the 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tonatico to Chipilo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–8 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 8–24 | 16 | State of Mexico, Guerrero |
| MEX-95 | 24–35 | 11 | Guerrero, Morelos |
| MEX-91D | 35–42 | 7 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 42–50 | 8 | Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 50–88 | 38 | Morelos |
| PUE 438D | 88–122 | 34 | Morelos, Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 122–134 | 12 | Puebla |
| local roads | 134–138 | 4 | Puebla |
- Mile 20 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
- Mile 28 of this route: Guerrero → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 96 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
Stops between Tonatico and Chipilo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 20)
- Nature and outdoors: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 20)
- Museums and history: Xochicalco (mile 42), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 86), Chalcatzingo (mile 88)
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
Las Pilas archaeological site
Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.
Chalcatzingo
At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.
Convento de Santiago Apóstol
In the town of Ocuituco, the Temple and Ex-convent of Santiago Apóstol (Templo y Exconvento de Santiago Apóstol) belongs to the UNESCO-listed group of 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, inscribed in 1994.
Convento de San Juan Bautista
This convent in Tetela del Volcán, known for its carved wooden sacristy and light-filled cloister walks, was cleaned of soot left from its use as a barracks during the Mexican Revolution in a conservation project completed in 2009.
When you get to Chipilo
Fort Guadalupe
Fort Guadalupe is a fort you'll find in the city of Puebla, within the Mexican state of the same name.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
Puebla Cathedral
Consecrated in 1649, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the seat of the Archdiocese of Puebla and one of the key buildings in the city's UNESCO-listed historic center.
More drives to Chipilo
- Apizaco to Chipilo
- Calpulalpan to Chipilo
- Pachuca to Chipilo
- Cuernavaca to Chipilo
- Tepotzotlán to Chipilo
- Actopan to Chipilo
From Tonatico to other places in Mexico
- Tonatico to El Oro
- Tonatico to Bernal
- Tonatico to Mineral de Pozos
- Tonatico to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Tonatico to Cuanajo
- Tonatico to Tócuaro
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tonatico to Chipilo?
About 2 h 38 min of driving without stops, over 138 miles.
How far is Chipilo from Tonatico by car?
About 138 miles (222 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 Tonatico to Chipilo?
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 Tonatico to Chipilo?
The U.S. State Department rates State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Tonatico to Chipilo use?
In order: MEX-55, MEX-95, MEX-91D, MEX-95D, MEX-94D, PUE 438D and MEX-190D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Tonatico and Chipilo?
Closest to the road: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 20, 0.3 mi from the route); Las Pilas archaeological site (archaeological site, mile 86, 1 mi from the route); Chalcatzingo (archaeological site, mile 88, 2 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.