The Wayro route from Zacualpan de Amilpas to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes is 400 miles (644 km), about 7 h 35 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 400 mi (644 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 35 min |
| Main roads, in order | MOR 17 → MEX-115 → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 → AGS 19 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.0 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 Zacualpan de Amilpas to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes is like
MEX-45D (142 mi) and MEX-57D (57 mi) carry about 50% of the 400 miles. MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-115, MEX-45 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 7 states: Morelos, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Zacualpan de Amilpas to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Morelos |
| MOR 17 | 1–4 | 3 | Morelos |
| local roads | 4–28 | 24 | Morelos, State of Mexico |
| MEX-115 | 28–48 | 20 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 48–103 | 55 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-57D | 103–160 | 57 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro |
| MEX-47D | 160–213 | 53 | Querétaro, Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 213–355 | 142 | Guanajuato, Jalisco |
| MEX-45 | 355–384 | 29 | Jalisco, Aguascalientes |
| local roads | 384–388 | 4 | Aguascalientes |
| MEX-45 | 388–391 | 3 | Aguascalientes |
| AGS 19 | 391–400 | 9 | Aguascalientes |
- Mile 19 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 107 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 126 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 159 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 201 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 310 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 358 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
Stops between Zacualpan de Amilpas and San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario (mile 61), Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 113), Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (mile 373)
- Nature and outdoors: Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park (mile 34), Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park (mile 60), El Tepeyac National Park (mile 74), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 202)
- Museums and history: Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario (mile 61), Celaya Cathedral (mile 226), Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (mile 373)
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park, also called Izta-Popo Zoquiapan, protects the land around Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico's second- and third-highest peaks, where the states of México, Puebla and Morelos meet.
Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park
Named for Antonio Flores de Valdés, who inherited the estate in 1642, this former hacienda and mill near Texcoco became a national park in 1937. Visitors walk among its ruins, the San Joaquín church remains and a chapel built on rock.
Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario
The museum at the Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario opened in 2011 with a permanent exhibit, Encuentro con Nuestras Raíces, a hall of art from the State of Mexico and three temporary galleries.
Historic center of Mexico City
Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.
El Tepeyac National Park
Decreed in 1937 on reforested slopes of the Sierra de Guadalupe, including Cerro del Tepeyac, this national park was created for rest and recreation, with views toward Mexico City and the old Lake Texcoco plain.
Templo y exconvento de San Francisco
The Templo y Exconvento de San Francisco is a church and former convent located in the city of Tepeji del Río, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Cerro de las Campanas
Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.
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.
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 San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
Santuario del Cristo Roto, San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
A 28-meter broken Christ, the Cristo Roto, stands on an island in the Presidente Calles dam at San José de Gracia, reachable only by boat. Sculptors Erasmo Aguilar and Miguel Romo Santino made it to recall what the town lost when the dam was built.
More drives to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Jerez, Zacatecas to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- El Rosario, Sinaloa to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Tepatitlán to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Amatitán to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Ajijic to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Tequila to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
From Zacualpan de Amilpas to other places in Mexico
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Ixtenco
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Omitlán
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Tetela de Ocampo
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Huasca de Ocampo
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to El Oro
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Metztitlán
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Zacualpan de Amilpas to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes?
About 7 h 35 min of driving without stops, over 400 miles.
How far is San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes from Zacualpan de Amilpas by car?
About 400 miles (644 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 Zacualpan de Amilpas to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes?
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 Zacualpan de Amilpas to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo 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 Zacualpan de Amilpas to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes use?
In order: MOR 17, MEX-115, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-45 and AGS 19. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Zacualpan de Amilpas and San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes?
Closest to the road: Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario (museum, mile 61, 0.3 mi from the route); Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 113, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (history museum, mile 373, 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.