Driving to Copper Canyon: Road Distances to Creel, Paperwork for U.S. Drivers and Safety Advice

Driving is the most flexible way to reach Creel, but it is also the option with the most caveats for U.S. travelers. The U.S. State Department's travel advisory for Mexico, issued on May 29, 2026, places the state of Chihuahua at Level 3, Reconsider travel, and says U.S. government employees may not travel to certain areas of Chihuahua, including Copper Canyon. It also lists restrictions for its employees that it strongly advises U.S. citizens to follow, including two that matter for a road trip:

• Do not travel between cities after dark.
• Do not drive between Mexican border cities and the interior of Mexico, with limited exceptions.

In practice, that means we do not suggest driving from El Paso and Ciudad Juárez to the canyon. If you want the freedom of a car, the approach that fits the advisory is to start in Chihuahua city and drive to Creel in daylight, or to let someone else drive: a private transfer from Chihuahua to Creel or the Chepe Regional train. Read our safety page before you decide.

Distances and times are calculated on OpenStreetMap's road data from the town center to the center of Creel. The times assume no stops, no road works and no livestock on the road; mountain driving usually takes longer, so add a margin and plan to arrive well before dark.

From Chihuahua city

Take MEX 16 west out of Chihuahua toward Cuauhtémoc and on to the junction at La Junta, then turn south on CHIH 25 to Creel: 260 km (162 mi), about 3 hours 47 minutes without stops. With the daylight rule in mind, leave in the morning.

From Cuauhtémoc

Continue on MEX 16 to La Junta and then CHIH 25 to Creel: 155 km (97 mi), about 2 hours 25 minutes.

From Ciudad Juárez and El Paso

The road runs south on MEX 45 and MEX 45D to Chihuahua city (the "D" marks a toll road), then follows the Chihuahua route above: 625 km (388 mi), about 8 hours 37 minutes of driving. That is a full day at the wheel, and it is exactly the border-to-interior drive the U.S. advisory tells its employees not to make, so we do not recommend it.

From Hidalgo del Parral

Take MEX 24 and then CHIH 25 north through Guachochi to Creel: 346 km (215 mi), about 5 hours 36 minutes through the sierra.

From Guachochi

CHIH 25 runs north to Creel: 158 km (98 mi), about 2 hours 38 minutes.

If you take a U.S.-registered car into Mexico, this is what the official sources say today:

1. Passport and entry permit. By land you need a passport book or a passport card. All travelers must get an FMM entry permit online or at an office of Mexico's immigration institute (INM); the only exception is staying within 20 km (12 miles) of the border for six days or less, which does not apply to a Copper Canyon trip. If you fly home, remember that a passport card is not valid to board a plane.
2. Temporary vehicle import permit. U.S.-registered vehicles traveling beyond the border zone need a temporary vehicle import permit from Banjercito, and you pay a refundable deposit. The states where you can drive without it are Baja California, Baja California Sur and Sonora, not Chihuahua. Mexico's customs agency says these permits are processed at Banjercito's CIITEV offices. We could not confirm the current fee and deposit in an official source, so check them directly with Banjercito before you go.
3. Mexican liability insurance. Mexican rules require every vehicle on federal roads, bridges and highways to carry insurance that covers damage to third parties. Buy a policy valid in Mexico before you cross.
4. Customs. If you arrive by land, declare goods worth more than US$300.

• Emergencies: call 911. For roadside help, call 078, the Green Angels (Ángeles Verdes), the free mechanical-assistance service of Mexico's tourism ministry, available from 8:00 to 20:00 every day of the year on its highway sections.
• Drive between cities only in daylight, and prefer toll roads (numbers followed by a D) to free roads where you have the choice, as the U.S. advisory recommends.
• Carry a charged phone that works in Mexico. Coverage is spotty in rural areas, and roadside or medical help can be slow to arrive.
• If there is an accident with no injuries, call your insurance company; it may send someone to the scene.
• U.S. citizens in serious trouble can call the U.S. Embassy's 24-hour emergency line; the numbers are on our Creel emergency numbers page.

The train operator says it is not responsible for cars left at its stations and has no parking set aside for them, so do not plan to leave a car at a station. If you drive to Creel, ask your hotel whether you can leave the car there while you ride.

A round trip by train from Creel brings you back to your car. Two patterns that work with the published days:

• Out on Friday, back on Saturday (all year): Creel 08:00 to Divisadero 09:55; the next day, Divisadero 16:15 to Creel 17:40. One night on the canyon rim.
• Out on Tuesday, back on Thursday (not in May, June, August or September): same times, two nights on the rim.

The Divisadero to Creel leg is the one the operator will not let you change, so book the return date carefully. More combinations are in our train itineraries.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive from El Paso to Copper Canyon?

The road exists: about 625 km (388 mi) from Ciudad Juárez to Creel, roughly eight and a half hours of driving without stops. But the U.S. travel advisory issued on May 29, 2026 restricts its employees from driving between border cities and the interior of Mexico and strongly advises U.S. citizens to follow that restriction, so we suggest starting from Chihuahua city instead.

Do I need a permit to drive my U.S. car to Creel?

Yes. The State Department says U.S.-registered vehicles traveling beyond the border zone need a temporary vehicle import permit from Banjercito, with a refundable deposit, and Chihuahua is not one of the states where you can drive without it. You also need Mexican liability insurance and an FMM entry permit.

How far is Creel from Chihuahua city by car?

About 260 km (162 mi), roughly 3 hours 47 minutes without stops, on MEX 16 through Cuauhtémoc and then CHIH 25 from La Junta. Drive it in daylight.

Advisory, driving advice, vehicle permit, entry, customs and emergency numbers checked on September 16, 2026 on the U.S. State Department's Mexico page (date issued: May 29, 2026). Green Angels hours and service on the Mexican tourism ministry's Green Angels page, read on September 16, 2026. CIITEV offices on the Mexican customs agency's page, read on September 16, 2026. Compulsory third-party insurance: Acuerdo 07/2014 in the Diario Oficial de la Federación, based on article 63 Bis of Mexico's federal roads law. Cars at stations: the operator's FAQ; train days and times: its schedules; the unchangeable Divisadero to Creel leg: its terms. Road distances, times and road numbers calculated on September 16, 2026 with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), from the town centers mapped in OpenStreetMap to Creel; they are estimates, not measured drives.