Xico to Pinal de Amoles Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Xico to Pinal de Amoles is 350 miles (564 km), about 7 h 8 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; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Querétaro is the Mexican state that contains Pinal de Amoles. See the full advisory for current details.
Museo Casa XalapaKaná, Museo de Ciencia y TecnologíaXalapa Museum of AnthropologyParque Nacional Cofre de PeroteCantonaLa Malinche National ParkAqueduct of Padre TemblequeAtlantean figuresGalería LibertadXicoPinal de Amoles
Route from Xico to Pinal de Amoles with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance350 mi (564 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 8 min
Main roads, in orderVER 7 → MEX-140 → MEX-140D → MEX-136 → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-120 → QRO 5 → QRO 100
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 14.0 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 Pinal de Amoles is like

MEX-M40D (87 mi) and MEX-140D (66 mi) carry about 44% of the 350 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-140, MEX-136, MEX-120 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Xico to Pinal de Amoles, 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-M40D137–22487Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads224–2251Hidalgo
MEX-57D225–26843Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-120268–29123Querétaro
QRO 5291–2954Querétaro
connecting roads295–2983Querétaro
QRO 100298–3046Querétaro
local roads304–3084Querétaro
QRO 100308–32214Querétaro
MEX-120322–35028Querétaro
  • 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 226 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 259 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)

Stops between Xico and Pinal de Amoles

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Casa Xalapa (mile 11), Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 15), Galería Libertad (mile 281)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 42), La Malinche National Park (mile 96)
  • Museums and history: Museo Casa Xalapa (mile 11), Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología (mile 12), Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 15), Cantona (mile 58), Galería Libertad (mile 281)

Museo Casa Xalapa

Mile 11 · Museum · 0.9 mi from the route

Also called the Museo de la Ciudad, or MUXA, Museo Casa Xalapa traces the history of the Veracruz capital and state from pre-Hispanic times to today. It opened in 2007 and was renovated in 2016.

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.

Xalapa Museum of Anthropology

Mile 15 · Archaeological museum · 0.9 mi from the route

Run by the Universidad Veracruzana in a building designed by Edward Durell Stone, the Xalapa Museum of Anthropology displays more than 1,500 pieces from Olmec, central Veracruz and Huastec cultures, including several Olmec colossal heads, amid subtropical gardens.

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.

Atlantean figures

Mile 214 · Atlantean figures · 1 mi from the route

Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents devouring skeletons.

Galería Libertad

Mile 281 · 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 Pinal de Amoles

From Xico to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Xico to Pinal de Amoles?

About 7 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 350 miles.

How far is Pinal de Amoles from Xico by car?

About 350 miles (564 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 Pinal de Amoles?

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 Pinal de Amoles?

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; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Xico to Pinal de Amoles use?

In order: VER 7, MEX-140, MEX-140D, MEX-136, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-120, QRO 5 and QRO 100. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Xico and Pinal de Amoles?

Closest to the road: Museo Casa Xalapa (museum, mile 11, 0.9 mi from the route); Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (archaeological museum, mile 15, 0.9 mi from the route); Galería Libertad (art museum, mile 281, 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.