Reliable online map data for Mexico

[Max Rockatansky]

I just got back from a two week trip in Jalisco.  Something that has been vexing me the entire trip is the combination of poor Federal Highway signing coupled with really unreliable map data that I've found online.  So far I've found that the difference between field signage and what is shown on mapping sites can be drastically different.  Case and point; south of Federal Highway 80 I found almost no trace of Fed 54 (aside form the junction at Fed 80) southward towards Zacoalco de Torres but instead Jalisco State 401 signs.  Following Federal Highways 23 and 44 in the vicinity of Chapala seems to be almost impossible without getting vague reference from my own pictures and Google Car images.  I'm considering picking up some physical road atlases but I would have to think that has to be some decent source for Federal Highways (perhaps in Spanish) that some of the users on the forum known about? 

[Max Rockatansky]

Thus far I've found only one quality vintage map scan for Mexico from a 1956 Shell Oil edition:

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~212338~5500362:Shell-Highway-Map-of-Mexico-?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:mexico%20highway;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=19&trs=43

[vdeane]

Drafting of the Mexico federal routes for Travel Mapping has begun, so one day that might be a decent reference as to where they are (as much as one can exist; Mexico doesn't seem to be as fussy about nailing down exact route alignments as the US, though the same is true of Saskatoon as well)

[Max Rockatansky]

Drafting of the Mexico federal routes for Travel Mapping has begun, so one day that might be a decent reference as to where they are (as much as one can exist; Mexico doesn't seem to be as fussy about nailing down exact route alignments as the US, though the same is true of Saskatoon as well)

How exactly does that whole thing work?  I've been on here for years and never got involved with the Traval Maps somehow.  I probably can sort out a lot of Fed 54, 44, 23, and 80 in Jalisco. 

[vdeane]

How it works in what way?  I know NE2 is working on deciding on what to include/how to determine where routes go.  Travelers basically enter where they've been in a file, email the file to the admin, and a page with maps/stats appears.
http://forum.travelmapping.net/index.php?topic=3147.msg17857;topicseen#msg17857

I know NE2 was going to clean up the existing data for Mexico, but I don't know what the status of that is.

[NE2]

http://forum.travelmapping.net/index.php?topic=3147 lists several official sources.
As for 54, sources agree that it's JAL 417 and JAL 401 between Ciudad Guzmán and Entronque Acatlán.
Chapala is yucky. Is it 23? 44? 110?
The worst I've found is Alamo, VER - Huejutla de Reyes, HID: signed as 83 (at junction for Chicontepec de Tejeda), 102 (at Benito Juárez), 105 (at Crucero Tres Huastecas), 106, 127, and 180 (all these at the east end; the newest signs at the east end are for 127); 102 in LRF, 127 in GIS and DV

[Max Rockatansky]

http://forum.travelmapping.net/index.php?topic=3147 lists several official sources.
As for 54, sources agree that it's JAL 417 and JAL 401 between Ciudad Guzmán and Entronque Acatlán.
Chapala is yucky. Is it 23? 44? 110?
The worst I've found is Alamo, VER - Huejutla de Reyes, HID: signed as 83 (at junction for Chicontepec de Tejeda), 102 (at Benito Juárez), 105 (at Crucero Tres Huastecas), 106, 127, and 180 (all these at the east end; the newest signs at the east end are for 127); 102 in LRF, 127 in GIS and DV

At least it's not just me being confused, the signage continuity was all over the place for everything aside from 15.  I have a new Rand McNally Map coming in that apparently has an overview insert for Mexico.  Granted that's not the most detailed map that is probably out there but it will be interesting to see how it compares to what I saw in-field. 

With Chapala it looks like 23 bypasses both the central areas of Chapala and Jocotepec.  44 definitely has a sign on 23 in the southbound lanes approaching downtown Chapala which is on the GSV. 

The best I can figure at this point is to watch eBay for highway maps of Jalisco.  I kind of had to do that already to sort out some Sign County Routes in California that weren't known before like R1 and B1.   

Fed 110 is definitely signed from Fed 15 south as the preferred route on the bypass of Jocotepec East to Chapala:

https://flic.kr/p/2ixEG6v

[Max Rockatansky]

Found this highway map of Jalisco on mappery.com.  It doesn't exactly fill in a lot of holes in the Federal Highway system I was hoping for:

http://www.mappery.com/map-of/Jalisco-Road-Map

[Max Rockatansky]

Been a couple years since I approached this topic.  I found a 2006 era map online for Jalisco which shows the then existing Federal Highways, but also the State Highways:

https://iieg.gob.mx/ns/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/iieg_2006_0087.pdf

[Max Rockatansky]

2012 map edition for Jalisco showing a more up to date listing of the Federal Highways.  This map unfortunately omits State Highways:

https://iieg.gob.mx/ns/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/500k_viewposter2019-1.pdf

And the 2018 iteration of the same map for Jalisco:

https://iieg.gob.mx/ns/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/500k_viewposter2018.pdf

This is the current online map of Jalisco was managed by the State.  This shows all current highway numbers (Federal and State) as "CODIGO" and functions similar to the Forest Service Interactive Map. 

https://mapa.jalisco.gob.mx/mapa/atlas-cc

[Max Rockatansky]

I did locate a 1956 era Shell Highway Map for Mexico.  This shows the entire country but also displays the State Highways as they were prior to renumbering in Jalisco.  It appears Jalisco shifted to a grid format similar to Nevada around the turn of the century.  A good example of an obvious change is State Highway 401 was previously State Highway 27:

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~212338~5500362:Shell-Highway-Map-of-Mexico-?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:mexico%20highway%201956;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=7&trs=9

[kphoger]

Been a couple years since I approached this topic.  I found a 2006 era map online for Jalisco which shows the then existing Federal Highways, but also the State Highways:

https://iieg.gob.mx/ns/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/iieg_2006_0087.pdf

That is the same or very similar cartography as used in Guía Roji atlases.  I have found errors in Guía Roji, so heads up.

Here are some links for you:
Official SCT state map of Jalisco, 2023 (.pdf warning)
Official SCT highway data for Jalisco, 2024 (.pdf warning)

If you're interested in digging into the highway data, I started but never finished a primer here, which you should find useful.

[kphoger]

You know, if you're in Guadalajara every so often, you could stop by the Guía Roji office on the way and just ask them what sort of physical map they have for Jalisco.  The most recent Guía Roji atlas I own is from 2011, and more recent ones (such as 2025) appear to be quite expensive online.

They also have digital maps, but I've never used them.

Calle López Cotilla 48-A, San Agustín
tel. (33) 2265-2433
tel. (33) 2265-2434
Open Monday-Friday, from 10am to 6pm
https://guiaroji.site/

[kphoger]

Case and point; south of Federal Highway 80 I found almost no trace of Fed 54 (aside form the junction at Fed 80) southward towards Zacoalco de Torres but instead Jalisco State 401 signs.

I'm not sure what you mean.  Carr. Fed. 54 doesn't go through Zacoalco de Torres.  Why would you expect to find signs for it?

[Max Rockatansky]

Case and point; south of Federal Highway 80 I found almost no trace of Fed 54 (aside form the junction at Fed 80) southward towards Zacoalco de Torres but instead Jalisco State 401 signs.

I'm not sure what you mean.  Carr. Fed. 54 doesn't go through Zacoalco de Torres.  Why would you expect to find signs for it?

Correct, but signage suggested otherwise in 2020 approaching Federal Highway 54D and the split with Federal Highway 80.  I was trying to sort all this out back then given it was fresh for me.

https://flic.kr/p/2nuP7uU

What appears to be in place is more interesting than I originally assumed.  I forget where I recently noted on forum this but what is now Jalisco 401 seems to have been renumbered several times.  Essentially it is the free alternative to Federal Highway 54D.  What is now Jalisco 401 was originally Jalisco 27 prior to the construction of Federal Highway 54D to Colima.  The corridor of Jalisco 27 appears to have been renumbered to Jalisco 54 sometime after 1989 which also appears on some signs (see below) and maps.  The current number of 401 seems to have been part of a much larger state wide Renumbering akin to something like 1976 era Nevada.  I'm in wake when the current numbering scheme took affect for Jalisco State Highways.

https://flic.kr/p/2nuGzoW

[kphoger]

Don't trust the shields on the signs.  The numbers are often wrong, and the shield blank is often wrong (state instead of federal or vice versa).

[Max Rockatansky]

FWIW there seems to be an attempt within Jalisco to improve things.  Some of the more significant State Highways on-route now have Kilometer paddles which often display the route number.  401 is one of those routes with the newer Kilometer paddles.

But to your point, this is why I've been seeking reliable map data since 2020.  I feel as though the GIS page I linked (third link specifically) in reply number 9 is about as good as it is going to get for Jalisco. 

To some extent I'm surprised that nobody has tried to create comprehensive list of State Highways in Mexico.  I would have thought that one of the Wikipedia editors would have run with this long ago.  Perhaps the information desert was just too vast past tense?  What does exist seems to be have been spawned from someone's first-hand account (such as the Jalisco State Highway 225 article).

[kphoger]

I forget where I recently noted on forum this but what is now Jalisco 401 seems to have been renumbered several times.  Essentially it is the free alternative to Federal Highway 54D.  What is now Jalisco 401 was originally Jalisco 27 prior to the construction of Federal Highway 54D to Colima.  The corridor of Jalisco 27 appears to have been renumbered to Jalisco 54 sometime after 1989 which also appears on some signs (see below) and maps.  The current number of 401 seems to have been part of a much larger state wide Renumbering akin to something like 1976 era Nevada.  I'm in wake when the current numbering scheme took affect for Jalisco State Highways.

I checked the official SCT state map from 2010, and it does indeed show that route as JAL-54.  However, the highway data page for every year I've looked at just shows it as JAL {blank}.

[kphoger]

I also just found this:  http://rnc.imt.mx/

It's clunky to use, but it does also have a data download, which gives you a .zip folder.  I haven't poked around to see what's inside that folder.

[NE2]

To some extent I'm surprised that nobody has tried to create comprehensive list of State Highways in Mexico.  I would have thought that one of the Wikipedia editors would have run with this long ago.  Perhaps the information desert was just too vast past tense?  What does exist seems to be have been spawned from someone's first-hand account (such as the Jalisco State Highway 225 article).

I did what I could a few years ago based on what's signed and what's in the various official sources: https://travelmapping.net/user/mapview.php?rg=MEX-AGS,MEX-BC,MEX-BCS,MEX-CAM,MEX-CHIH,MEX-CHIS,MEX-COAH,MEX-COL,MEX-DF,MEX-DGO,MEX-EMEX,MEX-GRO,MEX-GTO,MEX-HGO,MEX-JAL,MEX-MICH,MEX-MOR,MEX-NAY,MEX-NL,MEX-OAX,MEX-PUE,MEX-QRO,MEX-QROO,MEX-SIN,MEX-SLP,MEX-SON,MEX-TAB,MEX-TAM,MEX-TLAX,MEX-VER,MEX-YUC,MEX-ZAC
Sources: https://forum.travelmapping.net/index.php?topic=3147.0

[kphoger]

You know, if you're in Guadalajara every so often, you could stop by the Guía Roji office on the way and just ask them what sort of physical map they have for Jalisco.  The most recent Guía Roji atlas I own is from 2011, and more recent ones (such as 2025) appear to be quite expensive online.

They also have digital maps, but I've never used them.

Calle López Cotilla 48-A, San Agustín
tel. (33) 2265-2433
tel. (33) 2265-2434
Open Monday-Friday, from 10am to 6pm
https://guiaroji.site/

Oh hey, look, the 2025 Mexico atlas is on sale at Guía Roji's own website for 700 MXN.  That's a good price.

https://mapasguiaroji.shop/mapa-de-carreteras-de-mexico-2025

[RaulMtz]

This is a great find! I lived in Guadalajara for 9 years but never knew Guia Roji had an office there. Back before the popularization of Google Maps on our phones, you would pick up Guia Roji atlas' at the Oxxos.  The last one I have is from 2010.

It's a shame they only seem to be open on weekdays. I'll be in Guadalajara later this month but only in the weekend. I'll see if I can get someone to go to their store for me some day. If anyone is interested, maybe I can get a few copies and ship them from Arizona.

FWIW there seems to be an attempt within Jalisco to improve things.  Some of the more significant State Highways on-route now have Kilometer paddles which often display the route number.  401 is one of those routes with the newer Kilometer paddles.

But to your point, this is why I've been seeking reliable map data since 2020.  I feel as though the GIS page I linked (third link specifically) in reply number 9 is about as good as it is going to get for Jalisco. 

This "improvement" in Jalisco was a result of a state effort to effectively rebuild all or most of their state routes. Historically, the state routes were a disaster and riddled with potholes and "even worse" signage. I remember the state routes in southern Jalisco had hand painted signs up until like 2018-ish?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mKxc6FR5eFqbwbcU9
Before this improvement, we would actively avoid state routes if we could. Now a days it's the opposite. The federal government has really let their federal state routes deteriorate (not counting the toll roads).

Another funny observation I've always had of that region is how, it would seem MEX-54 doesn't exist south of Guadalajara (only the toll version MEX-54D). But for some reason, south of Ciudad Guzman, JAL-401 ends just north of Atentique and MEX-54 retakes its place, mostly following the canyon floor under the toll road MEX-54D. That area is very cool btw. Not sure if you've been that far south.

[Max Rockatansky]

This is a great find! I lived in Guadalajara for 9 years but never knew Guia Roji had an office there. Back before the popularization of Google Maps on our phones, you would pick up Guia Roji atlas' at the Oxxos.  The last one I have is from 2010.

It's a shame they only seem to be open on weekdays. I'll be in Guadalajara later this month but only in the weekend. I'll see if I can get someone to go to their store for me some day. If anyone is interested, maybe I can get a few copies and ship them from Arizona.

FWIW there seems to be an attempt within Jalisco to improve things.  Some of the more significant State Highways on-route now have Kilometer paddles which often display the route number.  401 is one of those routes with the newer Kilometer paddles.

But to your point, this is why I've been seeking reliable map data since 2020.  I feel as though the GIS page I linked (third link specifically) in reply number 9 is about as good as it is going to get for Jalisco. 

This "improvement" in Jalisco was a result of a state effort to effectively rebuild all or most of their state routes. Historically, the state routes were a disaster and riddled with potholes and "even worse" signage. I remember the state routes in southern Jalisco had hand painted signs up until like 2018-ish?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mKxc6FR5eFqbwbcU9
Before this improvement, we would actively avoid state routes if we could. Now a days it's the opposite. The federal government has really let their federal state routes deteriorate (not counting the toll roads).

Another funny observation I've always had of that region is how, it would seem MEX-54 doesn't exist south of Guadalajara (only the toll version MEX-54D). But for some reason, south of Ciudad Guzman, JAL-401 ends just north of Atentique and MEX-54 retakes its place, mostly following the canyon floor under the toll road MEX-54D. That area is very cool btw. Not sure if you've been that far south.

I have the surface portion of Federal Highway 54 south of Guzman on an upcoming blog on 54D.  It took me forever to figure out where the hell Jalisco State Highway 417 was given all the references on 54D.  Turns out that also begins in the southern outskirts of Guzman.