Xilitla to Santa Fe de la Laguna is about 306 road miles (493 km): roughly 7 h 13 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Distance by road | 306 mi (493 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 13 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-120 → QRO 100 → QRO 4 → MEX-57D → MEX-45D → MEX-43D → MEX-15D → MEX-37D → MEX-15 |
| Mexican states on the route | San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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.
How the Xilitla to Santa Fe de la Laguna drive plays out
MEX-120 (104 mi) and MEX-43D (51 mi) carry about 51% of the 306 miles. It runs through 4 states: San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-45D and MEX-43D. Of the 7 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Xilitla to Santa Fe de la Laguna
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-120 | 1–105 | 104 | San Luis Potosí, Querétaro |
| QRO 100 | 105–132 | 27 | Querétaro |
| QRO 4 | 132–152 | 20 | Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 152–164 | 12 | Querétaro |
| MEX-45D | 164–214 | 50 | Querétaro, Guanajuato |
| MEX-43D | 214–265 | 51 | Guanajuato, Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 265–266 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15D | 266–269 | 3 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 269–270 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-37D | 270–290 | 20 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 290–291 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15 | 291–306 | 15 | Michoacán |
- Mile 16 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 171 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 251 of this route: Guanajuato → Michoacán (state line)
Places worth a stop between Xilitla and Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tancama (mile 45), Museo de la Ciudad de Querétaro (mile 164)
- Nature and outdoors: El Cimatario National Park (mile 160)
- Museums and history: Santa María del Agua de Landa mission (mile 39), Tancama (mile 45), Querétaro Cathedral (mile 164), Museo de la Ciudad de Querétaro (mile 164), Celaya Cathedral (mile 192), Historic Centre of Morelia (mile 281)
Santa María del Agua de Landa mission
Built by Franciscans in the 18th century, the Mission of Santa María del Agua de Landa in Landa de Matamoros is an architectural complex in the churrigueresque style.
Tancama
Tancama is an archaeological site in Querétaro whose Huastec name means 'hill of fire,' a key place for understanding the Huastec culture.
El Cimatario National Park
El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.
Querétaro Cathedral
Querétaro's cathedral, dedicated to St. Philip Neri, is a Catholic church built by the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in Santiago de Querétaro.
Museo de la Ciudad de Querétaro
Inside the 18th-century Baroque former Capuchin convent in Querétaro's historic center, the Museo de la Ciudad hosts contemporary visual art along with music, film and theater.
Celaya Cathedral
The space now taken by the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the main Catholic church in Celaya, was once a chapel annexed to the Temple of St. Francis next door.
Historic Centre of Morelia
Morelia's old core, founded in the 16th century as Valladolid, keeps more than 200 historic buildings in the region's pink stone around its cathedral and checkerboard streets. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1991.
Once you reach Santa Fe de la Laguna
Church and ex monastery of San Francisco, Tzintzuntzan
Tzintzuntzan's Franciscan complex, begun in 1570, centers on an atrium of centuries-old olive trees, the plateresque Church of San Francisco from 1601 and a cloister with painted walls, plus a museum.
Tzintzuntzan
Once the political and economic capital of the Purépecha empire, governed by a hereditary line of uacúsecha, or 'eagle lords,' Tzintzuntzan preserves its yácatas, temple bases that combine rectangular and semicircular platforms around ritual plazas.
More drives to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Pedro Escobedo to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Amatitán to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Cadereyta to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Tequila to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Zimapán to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes to Santa Fe de la Laguna
From Xilitla to other places in Mexico
- Xilitla to Pinal de Amoles
- Xilitla to Omitlán
- Xilitla to Cuetzalan
- Xilitla to El Oro
- Xilitla to Ocuituco
- Xilitla to Jalpa de Cánovas
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Xilitla to Santa Fe de la Laguna?
About 7 h 13 min of driving without stops, over 306 miles.
How far is Santa Fe de la Laguna from Xilitla by car?
About 306 miles (493 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 Xilitla to Santa Fe de la Laguna?
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 Xilitla to Santa Fe de la Laguna?
The U.S. State Department rates San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Xilitla to Santa Fe de la Laguna use?
In order: MEX-120, QRO 100, QRO 4, MEX-57D, MEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Xilitla to Santa Fe de la Laguna?
Closest to the road: Santa María del Agua de Landa mission (mission, mile 39, 1 mi from the route); Tancama (archaeological site, mile 45, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo de la Ciudad de Querétaro (museum, mile 164, 0.9 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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.