Tulancingo to Cadereyta Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tulancingo to Cadereyta is 163 miles (262 km), about 3 h 14 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Querétaro is the Mexican state that contains Cadereyta. See the full advisory for current details.
Church and former convent of Todos los SantosAqueduct of Padre TemblequeTeotihuacanMuseo Arqueológico de ApaxcoTulaGalería LibertadTulancingoCadereyta
Route from Tulancingo to Cadereyta with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance163 mi (262 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 14 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-130 → MEX-132 → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-120
Mexican states on the routeHidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-M40D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 6.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

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 Tulancingo to Cadereyta is like

MEX-M40D (60 mi) and MEX-57D (43 mi) carry about 63% of the 163 miles. MEX-M40D, MEX-57D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-130, MEX-132, MEX-120 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tulancingo to Cadereyta, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Hidalgo
MEX-1302–64Hidalgo
MEX-1326–2923Hidalgo
MEX-M40D29–8960Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads89–901Hidalgo
MEX-57D90–13343Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-120133–15421Querétaro
connecting roads154–1584Querétaro
local roads158–1635Querétaro
  • Mile 48 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 62 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 91 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 124 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)

Stops between Tulancingo and Cadereyta

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Galería Libertad (mile 145)
  • Museums and history: Teotihuacan (mile 30), Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco (mile 62), Tula (mile 78), Galería Libertad (mile 145)

Church and former convent of Todos los Santos

Mile 24 · Convent · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Franciscan friars built this fortress-style convent in Zempoala, and the complex still keeps the classic layout of atrium, church, open chapel and cloister. It pairs well with a drive through the area's old pulque haciendas.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 28 · 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.

Teotihuacan

Mile 30 · Historic site · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco

Mile 62 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in 1985, the Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco sits across from the parish church of San Francisco de Asís and beside the town hall in Apaxco, State of Mexico.

Tula

Mile 78 · 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.

Galería Libertad

Mile 145 · Art museum · 0.4 mi from the route

Run by Querétaro's state culture department, Galería Libertad is a public gallery in the historic center of Santiago de Querétaro devoted to exhibiting, promoting and teaching the visual arts.

More drives to Cadereyta

From Tulancingo to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tulancingo to Cadereyta?

About 3 h 14 min of driving without stops, over 163 miles.

How far is Cadereyta from Tulancingo by car?

About 163 miles (262 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 Tulancingo to Cadereyta?

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 Tulancingo to Cadereyta?

The U.S. State Department rates Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Tulancingo to Cadereyta use?

In order: MEX-130, MEX-132, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D and MEX-120. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Tulancingo and Cadereyta?

Closest to the road: Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque (aqueduct, mile 28, 2 mi from the route); Tula (archaeological site, mile 78, 1 mi from the route); Galería Libertad (art museum, mile 145, 0.4 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.