Pan-American Highway (North America) - Mexico

Mexico

• Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas

In Nuevo Laredo, the Mexican Federal Highway 85 splits into two routes to Monterrey the other being Mexican Federal Highway 85D which has a toll of MXN$177. Nuevo Laredo is a city with 348,387 inhabitants. The city is considered Latin America's largest inland port with four international bridges into the USA. Monterrey is located some 225 km from Nuevo Laredo.

• Monterrey, Nuevo León

Monterrey the third largest city in Mexico. Monterrey is a largely industrial city with approximately 4.5 million people. The Pan-American Highway continues south on Mexican Federal Highway 85, which is a divided limited-access highway until just past the village of Hualahuises. This is the beginning of the stretch of the Pan-American Highway known as the Inter-American Highway, which parallels and cuts through the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains.

From Monterrey to Hualahuises is about 65 miles (105 km). The highway continues south on Mexico 85 for another 85 miles (137 km) until it reaches Ciudad Victoria. About 15 miles (24 km) past the village of Linares, the Inter-American Highway enters the state of Tamaulipas.

• Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas

From Ciudad Victoria, the highway continues south on Mexico 85; it is about 80 miles (130 km) to the next town, Ciudad Mante. About 55 miles (89 km) south of Ciudad Mante is the town of Ciudad Valles; about halfway to Ciudad Valles, the Pan-American Highway enters the state of San Luis Potosí.

From Ciudad Valles to Zimapán is about 122 miles (196 km) of winding mountain road; Zimapán is in the state of Hidalgo. From Zimapán to the Hidalgo state capital of Pachuca is about 76 miles (122 km).

• Pachuca, Hidalgo

Upon entering Pachuca, the Pan-American Highway becomes a divided limited-access route. About 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Pachuca, Mexico 85 has an alternate toll route Mexican Federal Highway 85D as it enters the state of México; for about another 25 miles (40 km). Teotihuacan ruins exist near the roadside along this stretch of the highway. The highway continues another 20 to 25 miles (32 to 40 km) before entering the Mexico City metropolitan area in the suburb of Ecatepec de Morelos.

• Mexico City (La Ciudad de México)

The Pan-American Highway (as Mexico Highway 85D) enters Mexico City. Downtown Mexico City can be bypassed using Mexico Highway 136 (a divided limited-access route) and Mexico Highway 115, which reconnects to Mexico Highway 95D south of the Mexican Federal District.

• Cuernavaca, Morelos

As the Pan-American Highway continues south of Mexico City and the Distrito Federal (Federal District), the road arrives in the city of Cuernavaca about 30 miles (48 km) south of the Mexican capital. Here, the Inter-American Highway section of the Pan-American Highway heads east along Federal Highway 190; for about 20 miles (32 km), it is a limited-access divided highway. Continue on Mexico 190 for the near duration; the road leaves the state of Puebla and enters the state of Oaxaca. From Huajuapan de León to the Oaxaca state capital of Oaxaca is about 90 miles (140 km).

• Oaxaca, Oaxaca

From the city of Oaxaca, continue southeast on Mexico Highway 190. From Oaxaca to the village of Juchitán de Zaragoza is about 142 miles (229 km). The Pan-American Highway is now in southern Mexico, which is a combination of small mountains, hills, and jungle areas. It is another 56 miles (90 km) to the border with the state of Chiapas and another trip across the Continental Divide.

• Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas

From the Oaxaca-Chiapas state border, it is 100 miles (160 km) to the Chiapas state capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Chiapas is an extremely impoverished region with relatively few services, especially outside of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. A large number of Chiapas residents are partly or completely of Mayan descent and do not speak Spanish, let alone English. Chiapas is also the home of the anti-Mexico City Zapatista Army of National Liberation rebel group. The Highway crosses the Mexico-Guatemala border at Ciudad Cuauhtémoc.