The Wayro route from Xico to Tonatico is 262 miles (421 km), about 5 h 2 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 262 mi (421 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 2 min |
| Main roads, in order | VER 7 → MEX-140 → MEX-140D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D → MEX-94D → MEX-95 → MEX-55 |
| Mexican states on the route | Veracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3), Guerrero (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-140D, MEX-150D, MEX-94D, MEX-95D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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 Xico to Tonatico is like
MEX-140D (91 mi) and MEX-94D (38 mi) carry about 49% of the 262 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-94D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-140, MEX-190, MEX-95, MEX-55 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos, Guerrero, State of Mexico. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Xico to Tonatico, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | Veracruz |
| VER 7 | 6–10 | 4 | Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 10–13 | 3 | Veracruz |
| MEX-140 | 13–18 | 5 | Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 18–19 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-140D | 19–110 | 91 | Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 110–112 | 2 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 112–127 | 15 | Puebla |
| local roads | 127–138 | 11 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 138–172 | 34 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 172–210 | 38 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 210–215 | 5 | Morelos |
| local roads | 215–222 | 7 | Morelos |
| MEX-95 | 222–237 | 15 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| MEX-55 | 237–261 | 24 | Guerrero, State of Mexico |
| local roads | 261–262 | 1 | State of Mexico |
- Mile 51 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 76 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 86 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 92 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 99 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 165 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 235 of this route: Morelos → Guerrero (state line)
- Mile 243 of this route: Guerrero → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 250 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
- Mile 254 of this route: Guerrero → State of Mexico (state line)
Stops between Xico and Tonatico
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Xalapa Cathedral (mile 12), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 242)
- Nature and outdoors: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 242)
- Museums and history: Xalapa Cathedral (mile 12), Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología (mile 12), Cantona (mile 58), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 117), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 174), Xochicalco (mile 222)
Xalapa Cathedral
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
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
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.
Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla
Behind the facade of Puebla's Santo Domingo church hides the Capilla del Rosario, inaugurated in 1690. Gold covers its walls, pilasters and vaults, and contemporaries hailed it as the eighth wonder of the New World.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More drives to Tonatico
- Valle de Bravo to Tonatico
- Zitácuaro to Tonatico
- Tlalpujahua to Tonatico
- Amealco to Tonatico
- San Juan del Río to Tonatico
- Tequisquiapan to Tonatico
From Xico to other places in Mexico
- Xico to Naolinco
- Xico to Huejotzingo
- Xico to Tecolutla
- Xico to Calpulalpan
- Xico to San Miguel, Morelos
- Xico to Otumba
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Xico to Tonatico?
About 5 h 2 min of driving without stops, over 262 miles.
How far is Tonatico from Xico by car?
About 262 miles (421 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 Tonatico?
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 Tonatico?
The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico 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 Tonatico use?
In order: VER 7, MEX-140, MEX-140D, MEX-190, PUE 438D, MEX-94D, MEX-95 and MEX-55. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Xico and Tonatico?
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); Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 242, 0.1 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.