Xico to Pinos Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Xico to Pinos is 483 miles (777 km), about 9 h 6 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 Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; San Luis Potosí — 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 Pinos. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Museo Casa XalapaKaná, Museo de Ciencia y TecnologíaCantonaEx Convento de Santa María de la Concepción AtlihuetziaTeotihuacanFormer hacienda of ChichimequillasEl Gogorrón National ParkMuseo Leonora CarringtonMuseo del VirreinatoXicoPinos
Route from Xico to Pinos with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance483 mi (777 km)
Driving time, no stops9 h 6 min
Main roads, in orderVER 7 → MEX-140 → MEX-140D → MEX-136 → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → MEX-49 → ZAC 291
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), San Luis Potosí (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 19.3 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 Pinos is like

MEX-57 (107 mi) and MEX-M40D (87 mi) carry about 40% of the 483 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-140, MEX-136, MEX-57, MEX-49 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 9 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Xico to Pinos, 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-57D225–31287Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
connecting roads312–3131Querétaro
MEX-57313–420107Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí
connecting roads420–4233San Luis Potosí
MEX-49423–46643San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas
connecting roads466–4671Zacatecas
ZAC 291467–48114Zacatecas
local roads481–4832Zacatecas
  • 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)
  • Mile 319 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 373 of this route: Guanajuato → San Luis Potosí (state line)
  • Mile 455 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Xico and Pinos

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Casa Xalapa (mile 11)
  • Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 399)
  • Museums and history: Museo Casa Xalapa (mile 11), Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología (mile 12), Cantona (mile 58), Teotihuacan (mile 165), Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 304), Museo Leonora Carrington (mile 420), Museo del Virreinato (mile 420)

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.

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.

Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia

Mile 112 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

The ruined walls of this 16th-century Franciscan convent in Atlihuetzia rise as high as 21 meters beside the 17th-century Purísima Concepción church. The site also holds a sanctuary to Cristóbal, honored as the first Catholic child martyr in the Americas.

Teotihuacan

Mile 165 · 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.

Former hacienda of Chichimequillas

Mile 304 · Historic site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Discalced Carmelite friars founded this hacienda around 1690 to shelter travelers on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and to farm. Its two-story stone and lime main house, finished in 1813, wraps around a central courtyard beside a chapel.

El Gogorrón National Park

Mile 399 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Straddling San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato near Villa de Reyes, this national park offers rugged rock formations, mountain scenery and thermal springs, with camping, hiking and mountain biking.

Museo Leonora Carrington

Mile 420 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

Inside the Centro de las Artes, a former state penitentiary, this museum shows Leonora Carrington's sculptures, engravings, drawings, jewelry and personal objects, including monumental bronzes of her fantastical creatures.

Museo del Virreinato

Mile 420 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Set in the 18th-century former convent of the Discalced Carmelites in San Luis Potosí, the Museo del Virreinato is dedicated to Mexican art from the viceregal period.

More drives to Pinos

From Xico to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Xico to Pinos?

About 9 h 6 min of driving without stops, over 483 miles.

How far is Pinos from Xico by car?

About 483 miles (777 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 Pinos?

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 Pinos?

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; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; San Luis Potosí 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 Xico to Pinos use?

In order: VER 7, MEX-140, MEX-140D, MEX-136, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, MEX-49 and ZAC 291. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Xico and Pinos?

Closest to the road: Museo Casa Xalapa (museum, mile 11, 0.9 mi from the route); Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología (museum, mile 12, 1 mi from the route); Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia (convent, mile 112, 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.