The Wayro route from Zitácuaro to General Zaragoza is 429 miles (691 km), about 10 h 4 min of driving without stops.
| Total distance | 429 mi (691 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 4 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-15 → MICH 122 → MEX-126 → GTO 37 → GTO 47 → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-57 → MEX-57D → SLP 29 → NL 3 |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-57D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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.
The Zitácuaro–General Zaragoza drive in a few lines
MEX-57 (190 mi) and MEX-57D (48 mi) carry about 55% of the 429 miles. It runs through 5 states: Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-47D, MEX-45D and MEX-57D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Zitácuaro to General Zaragoza
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15 | 1–27 | 26 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 27–28 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MICH 122 | 28–44 | 16 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 44–45 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-126 | 45–54 | 9 | Michoacán, Guanajuato |
| GTO 37 | 54–91 | 37 | Guanajuato |
| GTO 47 | 91–94 | 3 | Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 94–97 | 3 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-47D | 97–100 | 3 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 100–115 | 15 | Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| MEX-57 | 115–230 | 115 | Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí |
| connecting roads | 230–231 | 1 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57D | 231–272 | 41 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 272–347 | 75 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57D | 347–354 | 7 | San Luis Potosí |
| SLP 29 | 354–382 | 28 | San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León |
| NL 3 | 382–388 | 6 | Nuevo León |
| local roads | 388–429 | 41 | Nuevo León |
- Mile 51 of this route: Michoacán → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 109 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 140 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 193 of this route: Guanajuato → San Luis Potosí (state line)
- Mile 362 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Nuevo León (state line)
What to see on the way from Zitácuaro to General Zaragoza
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 45), Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin (mile 116)
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 219)
- Museums and history: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 45), El Cerrito (mile 112), Queretaro Art Museum (mile 116), Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 128), San Luis Potosí Cathedral (mile 239), Matehuala Cathedral (mile 353)
Teatro Morelos de Maravatío
Opera singer Ángela Peralta performed at the opening of Maravatío's Teatro Morelos on January 11, 1879. Architect Rafael Guerrero Torres designed the building in a neoclassical style with French influence.
El Cerrito
Just outside Querétaro city in Corregidora, El Cerrito is an INAH archaeological zone centered on a pyramid close to 100 feet high, later topped by a 19th-century fort, with a small site museum on the grounds.
Queretaro Art Museum
Set in the cloister of the former San Agustín convent, the Museo de Arte de Querétaro opened in 1988 and shows paintings and sculpture across fifteen galleries.
Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin
The Cloister of San Felipe Neri in central Querétaro was part of the Oratorian convent and stands beside the Templo de San Felipe Neri, now the city's cathedral.
Former hacienda of Chichimequillas
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
Decreed a national park in 1936, Gogorrón in San Luis Potosí mixes desert scrub and grassland with pine-oak forest on its heights, and hot-spring balnearios lie within its bounds.
San Luis Potosí Cathedral
Look closely at the two towers of San Luis Potosí's cathedral: one is built of mortar, the other of quarried cantera stone. The Baroque church is the seat of the archdiocese.
Matehuala Cathedral
Matehuala's Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Matehuala; it is open for worship though still under construction.
More drives to General Zaragoza
- Jerez, Zacatecas to General Zaragoza
- Pabellón de Hidalgo to General Zaragoza
- Celaya to General Zaragoza
- Salvatierra to General Zaragoza
- Tlalpujahua to General Zaragoza
- Angangueo to General Zaragoza
From Zitácuaro to other places in Mexico
- Zitácuaro to Amealco
- Zitácuaro to Cuanajo
- Zitácuaro to Ezequiel Montes
- Zitácuaro to Bernal
- Zitácuaro to Mineral de Pozos
- Zitácuaro to Pabellón de Arteaga
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Zitácuaro to General Zaragoza?
About 10 h 4 min of driving without stops, over 429 miles.
What is the driving distance from Zitácuaro to General Zaragoza?
About 429 miles (691 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 Zitácuaro to General Zaragoza?
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 Zitácuaro to General Zaragoza?
The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Nuevo León Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Zitácuaro to General Zaragoza?
In order: MEX-15, MICH 122, MEX-126, GTO 37, GTO 47, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-57, MEX-57D, SLP 29 and NL 3. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Zitácuaro to General Zaragoza?
Closest to the road: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 45, 0.1 mi from the route); Queretaro Art Museum (art museum, mile 116, 1 mi from the route); Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin (convent, mile 116, 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 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.