Xico to Angangueo Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Xico to Angangueo is 308 miles (496 km), about 5 h 40 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Michoacán is the Mexican state that contains Angangueo. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Xalapa CathedralKaná, Museo de Ciencia y TecnologíaParque Nacional Cofre de PeroteCantonaLa Malinche National ParkAqueduct of Padre TemblequeTulaCathedral of AtlacomulcoMuseo del Ferrocarril del OroXicoAngangueo
Route from Xico to Angangueo with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance308 mi (496 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 40 min
Main roads, in orderVER 7 → MEX-140 → MEX-140D → MEX-136 → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-126 → MICH 44
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 12.3 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 Xico to Angangueo is like

MEX-M40D (121 mi) and MEX-140D (66 mi) carry about 61% of the 308 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-140, MEX-136, MEX-126 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Michoacán. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Xico to Angangueo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–66Veracruz
VER 76–104Veracruz
connecting roads10–133Veracruz
MEX-14013–185Veracruz
connecting roads18–191Veracruz
MEX-140D19–8566Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala
MEX-13685–13752Tlaxcala
MEX-M40D137–258121Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-15D258–27921State of Mexico, Michoacán
local roads279–2856Michoacán
MEX-126285–2894Michoacán
local roads289–30011Michoacán
MICH 44300–3088Michoacán
  • Mile 51 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 76 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 146 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 153 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 166 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 183 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 197 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 227 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 277 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)

Stops between Xico and Angangueo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Xalapa Cathedral (mile 12)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 42), La Malinche National Park (mile 96)
  • Museums and history: Xalapa Cathedral (mile 12), Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología (mile 12), Cantona (mile 58), Tula (mile 214), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 259), Museo del Ferrocarril del Oro (mile 285)

Xalapa Cathedral

Mile 12 · Cathedral · 0.9 mi from the route

One of Xalapa's oldest buildings, the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception mixes a baroque core with neo-Gothic touches added in 1895, and holds the remains of Bishop Rafael Guízar y Valencia.

Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología

Mile 12 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología is a modern interactive science and technology museum in Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz, formerly known as the Museo Interactivo de Xalapa.

Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote

Mile 42 · National Park of Mexico · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Cofre de Perote National Park protects the forested slopes of the mountain, and its role is practical as well as scenic: a little over 40 percent of the water used in Xalapa comes from here.

Cantona

Mile 58 · Archaeological site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

High on the Puebla plateau near the Veracruz line, Cantona was a fortified pre-Hispanic city that controlled trade toward the Gulf; its explored southern section reveals interconnected streets, walled residential units and more than two dozen ballgame courts.

La Malinche National Park

Mile 96 · National Park of Mexico · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Tlaxcala's La Malinche National Park surrounds the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, with pine, oak and fir forests on its slopes, hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 163 · 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.

Tula

Mile 214 · 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.

Cathedral of Atlacomulco

Mile 259 · Catholic cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Museo del Ferrocarril del Oro

Mile 285 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The Museo del Ferrocarril is in El Oro de Hidalgo, State of Mexico, a town seen as an important part of Mexico's mining and railroad history and named a Pueblo Mágico in 2011.

When you get to Angangueo

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve

Biosphere reserve · in Angangueo

Every fall, millions of monarch butterflies from across North America return to the oyamel fir forests about 100 km northwest of Mexico City, clustering so densely they bend branches. The reserve became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

More drives to Angangueo

From Xico to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Xico to Angangueo?

About 5 h 40 min of driving without stops, over 308 miles.

How far is Angangueo from Xico by car?

About 308 miles (496 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 Xico to Angangueo?

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 Xico to Angangueo?

The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Xico to Angangueo use?

In order: VER 7, MEX-140, MEX-140D, MEX-136, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-126 and MICH 44. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Xico and Angangueo?

Closest to the road: Xalapa Cathedral (cathedral, mile 12, 0.9 mi from the route); Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología (museum, mile 12, 1 mi from the route); Tula (archaeological site, mile 214, 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.