Alternative route for people driving south to Mazatlán, Vallarta or Chapala

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Due to the heavy rains that occurred on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, September 19, 20 and 21, the Mexico 15 federal highway was flooded in different sections within the state of Sonora and closed to vehicular traffic until further notice, as mentioned in a statement issued by the State Civil Protection Unit.

Members of the Mexican Army rescued at least 30 people in the town of Las Guásimas on Thursday Sep. 20, after a transport truck in which they were traveling was stranded on Mexico 15 federal highway.

Federal Highway 15 (Carretera Federal 15) is one of Mexico’s most important International Highways. Better known as Mexico-Nogales Highway, the Fed. 15 is a primary north-south highway, and is a free part of the federal highways corridors (Corredores carreteros federales) of Mexico.

The highway begins in the north at the Mexico–United States border, at the Nogales Port of Entry in Nogales, Sonora (right next to Nogales, Arizona on the American side), and ends up to the south in Mexico City.

Fed. 15 from Nogales to Mazatlán runs parallel to Fed. 15D, a tolled road part of the federal highways corridors (Corredores carreteros federales); the portion of this northern stretch from the town of Eldorado southward within the state of Sinaloa is a limited-access highway.

North of the U.S.-Mexico border, the Fec. 15 highway continues to the north from the Port of Entry, as I-19 Business.


Major cities along Fed. 15 are:

  • Nogales, Sonora
    Hermosillo, Sonora
    Guaymas, Sonora
    Ciudad Obregón, Sonora
    Navojoa, Sonora
    Los Mochis, Sinaloa
    Guasave, Sinaloa
    Guamúchil, Sinaloa
    Culiacán, Sinaloa
    Mazatlán, Sinaloa
    Tepic, Nayarit
    Guadalajara, Jalisco
    Morelia, Michoacán
    Toluca, Edo. de Mex
    CDMX

Take the long way home

So, if you are one of those “migratory creatures” heading south for the winter, it might be a good idea to take an alternative route.

And what could be better than a scenic road, like the Transpeninsular Baja California Highway, you can drive along I-10 towards Phoenix and then take I-8 to San Diego, and from there just head straight south to La Paz, and take the ferry to Mazatlan.

Ferry routes between Mazatlan and Baja (Baja Ferries)

Carretera Panamericana

Another alternative route is the Carretera Panamericana, crossing the border on the El Paso TX – Ciudad Juarez, Chih. border crossing, head south to Chihuahua City, and further south to Jimenez; from there to Durango and just keep going until you get to beautiful Mazatlán.

The Carretera Durango – Mazatlán is a modern highway that links the cities of Durango and Mazatlan through the Sierra Madre Occidental.

Federal Highway 45 (La Carretera Federal 45) (Fed. 45) is the free (libre) part of the federal highways corridors (los corredores carreteros federales), and connects Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua through the Chihuahuan Desert. all the way south to Panales, Hidalgo.

This highway is operated under the management of the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation. Custody is the responsibility of “The Federal Highway Police”, which in turn is part of the Federal Police (Mexico) (PF). Fed. 45 is part of the Pan-American Highway.

TMP Newsroom