The Wayro route from Zacatelco to Pabellón de Arteaga is 391 miles (630 km), about 6 h 28 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 391 mi (630 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 28 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-119 → MEX-117D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-117D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.7 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 Zacatelco to Pabellón de Arteaga is like
MEX-45D (141 mi) and MEX-M40D (103 mi) carry about 62% of the 391 miles. MEX-117D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-119, MEX-45 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 8 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Zacatelco to Pabellón de Arteaga, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-119 | 0–6 | 6 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-117D | 6–21 | 15 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 21–124 | 103 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 124–125 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-57D | 125–160 | 35 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro |
| MEX-47D | 160–213 | 53 | Querétaro, Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 213–354 | 141 | Guanajuato, Jalisco |
| MEX-45 | 354–384 | 30 | Jalisco, Aguascalientes |
| local roads | 384–391 | 7 | Aguascalientes |
- Mile 19 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 23 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 45 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 53 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 66 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 83 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 96 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 126 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 158 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 201 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 309 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 358 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
Stops between Zacatelco and Pabellón de Arteaga
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Aguascalientes Cathedral (mile 372), Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (mile 372)
- Nature and outdoors: El Cimatario National Park (mile 196)
- Museums and history: Basílica de Ocotlán (mile 9), Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (mile 9), Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl (mile 114), Celaya Cathedral (mile 225), Aguascalientes Cathedral (mile 372), Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (mile 372)
Basílica de Ocotlán
On Cerro de San Lorenzo near the city of Tlaxcala, the Basílica de Ocotlán is a standout of Mexican Churrigueresque Baroque, begun in 1670 and home to an ocote-wood image of the Virgin tied to a 1541 legend.
Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco
Ocotelulco was the principal Tlaxcalan lordship in 1519; its site museum displays about 750 excavated objects beside temple remains painted with Tezcatlipoca and the fire serpent, and an ethnobotanical garden surrounds the building.
Church and former convent of Todos los Santos
Franciscan friars built this fortress-style convent in Zempoala, and the complex still keeps the classic layout of atrium, church, open chapel and cloister. It pairs well with a drive through the area's old pulque haciendas.
Atlantean figures
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.
Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl
The Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl is an archaeological museum located in Tula de Allende, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
El Cimatario National Park
El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.
Celaya Cathedral
Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.
Aguascalientes Cathedral
The cathedral of Aguascalientes stands on the Plaza de la Patria in the city's historic center.
Museo Regional de Aguascalientes
An early 20th-century building by self-taught architect Refugio Reyes holds this INAH museum of Aguascalientes history, with fossils, archaeological finds, colonial paintings by Juan Correa and more than 300 devotional ex-voto paintings.
When you get to Pabellón de Arteaga
Museo de la Insurgencia
Set in a 17th-century estate, the Museo de la Insurgencia opened in 1964 to tell the story of Mexico's independence movement. One hall shows farm, mining and textile tools from hacienda work; another displays everyday objects from past eras.
More drives to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Tepatitlán to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Guadalajara to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Paracho to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Uruapan to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Pátzcuaro to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Moroleón to Pabellón de Arteaga
From Zacatelco to other places in Mexico
- Zacatelco to Tlaxco
- Zacatelco to Calpulalpan
- Zacatelco to Otumba
- Zacatelco to Atlatlahucan
- Zacatelco to Omitlán
- Zacatelco to Huasca de Ocampo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Zacatelco to Pabellón de Arteaga?
About 6 h 28 min of driving without stops, over 391 miles.
How far is Pabellón de Arteaga from Zacatelco by car?
About 391 miles (630 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 Zacatelco to Pabellón de Arteaga?
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 Zacatelco to Pabellón de Arteaga?
The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla 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; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Zacatelco to Pabellón de Arteaga use?
In order: MEX-119, MEX-117D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D and MEX-45. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Zacatelco and Pabellón de Arteaga?
Closest to the road: Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 113, 1 mi from the route); Aguascalientes Cathedral (church building, mile 372, 0.0 mi from the route); Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (history museum, mile 372, 0.2 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.