The map displays the US Department of State’s travel advisories for Mexico, indicating safety levels for different regions.
The colors represent different levels of caution:
- Green: Normal Caution
- Yellow: Increased Caution
- Orange: Reconsider Travel
- Red: Do Not Travel
It was accurate at the time of publication (June 2024), but advisories may have since changed. For the latest visit the official Mexico Travel Advisory page here.
Here’s what the Department of State has to say about their reasons:
Do Not Travel To:
- Colima statedue tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Guerrero statedue tocrime.
- Michoacan statedue tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Sinaloa statedue tocrimeandkidnapping
- Tamaulipas statedue tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Zacatecasstate due tocrimeandkidnapping.
Reconsider Travel To:
- Baja Californiastate due tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Chihuahua statedue tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Durango statedue tocrime.
- Guanajuato statedue tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Jalisco statedue tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Morelos statedue tocrime.
- Sonora statedue tocrimeandkidnapping.
Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling To:
- Aguascalientesstate due tocrime.
- Baja California Sur statedue tocrime.
- Chiapas statedue tocrime.
- Coahuila statedue tocrime.
- Hidalgo statedue tocrime.
- Mexico Citydue tocrime.
- Mexico Statedue tocrime.
- Nayarit statedue tocrime.
- Nuevo Leonstate due tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Oaxaca statedue tocrime.
- Puebla statedue tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Queretaro statedue tocrime.
- Quintana Roo statedue tocrime.
- San Luis Potosi statedue tocrimeandkidnapping.
- Tabasco statedue tocrime.
- Tlaxcala statedue tocrime.
- Veracruz statedue tocrime.
Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling To:
- Campeche state
- Yucatan state
And here are their tips if you do decide to travel to Mexico:
If you decide to travel to Mexico:
- Keep traveling companions and family back home informed of your travel plans. If separating from your travel group, send a friend your GPS location. If taking a taxi alone, take a photo of the taxi number and/or license plate and text it to a friend.
- Use toll roads when possible and avoid driving alone or at night. In many states, police presence and emergency services are extremely limited outside the state capital or major cities.
- Exercise increased caution when visiting local bars, nightclubs, and casinos.
- Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.
- Be extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs.
- Enroll in theSmart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Follow the Department of State onFacebookandTwitter.
- Follow the U.S. Embassy onFacebookandTwitter.
- Review theCountry Security Reportfor Mexico.
- Mariners planning travel to Mexico should check for U.S. maritimeadvisoriesandalerts, which include instructions on reporting suspicious activities and attacks to Mexican naval authorities.
- Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review theTraveler’s Checklist.
- Visit theCDC pagefor the latest travel health information related to your travel.
And finally here are the full reasoning and restrictions for states listed as Do Not Travel To.
Colima state – Do Not Travel
Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.
Violent crime and gang activity are widespread.Most homicides are targeted assassinations against members of criminal organizations. Shooting incidents between criminal groupshave injured or killed bystanders. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.
Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with noted restrictions:
- Manzanillo: U.S. government employee travel is limited to the tourist and port areas of Manzanillo.
- Employees traveling to Manzanillo from Guadalajara must use Federal Toll Road 54D during daylight hours.
U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Colima state.
Guerrero state – Do Not Travel
Do not travel due to crime.
Crime and violence are widespread. Armed groups operate independently of the government in many areas of Guerrero. Members of these groups frequently maintain roadblocks and may use violence towards travelers. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping in previous years.
Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following area with the noted restrictions:
- Taxco:U.S. government employees must use Federal Highway 95D, which passes through Cuernavaca, Morelos, and stay within downtown tourist areas of Taxco. Employees may visit Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park during the day with a licensed tour operator.
U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of the state of Guerrero, including to tourist areas inAcapulco,Zihuatanejo, andIxtapa.
Michoacan state – Do Not Travel
Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.
Crime and violence are widespread in Michoacan state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.
Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:
- Federal Highway 15D: U.S. government employees may travel on Federal Highway 15D to transit the state between Mexico City and Guadalajara.
- Morelia:U.S. government employees may travel by air and by land using Federal Highways 43 or 48D from Federal Highway 15D.
- Lazaro Cardenas:U.S. government employees must travel by air only and limit activities to the city center or port areas.
U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of the state of Michoacan, including the portions of theMonarch Butterfly Reservelocated in Michoacan.
Sinaloa state – Do Not Travel
Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.
Violent crime is widespread. Criminal organizations are based in and operating in Sinaloa. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.
Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:
- Mazatlan:U.S. government employees may travel to Mazatlan by air or sea only, are limited to the Zona Dorada and historic town center, and must travel via direct routes between these destinations and the airport and sea terminal.
- Los Mochis and Topolobampo:U.S. government employees may travel to Los Mochis and Topolobampo by air or sea only, are restricted to the city and the port, and must travel via direct routes between these destinations and the airport.
U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Sinaloa state.
Tamaulipas state – Do Not Travel
Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.
Organized crime activity – including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault – is common along the northern border and in Ciudad Victoria. Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments.
Heavily armed members of criminal groups often patrol areas of the state and operate with impunity particularly along the border region from Reynosa to Nuevo Laredo. In these areas, local law enforcement has limited capacity to respond to incidents of crime. Law enforcement capacity is greater in the tri-city area of Tampico, Ciudad Madero, and Altamira, which has a lower rate of violent criminal activity compared to the rest of the state.
U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.
Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:
- Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo:U.S. government employees may only travel within a limited radius around and between the U.S. Consulates in Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros, their homes, the respective U.S. Ports of Entry, and limited downtown sites, subject to an overnight curfew.
- Overland travel in Tamaulipas:U.S. government employees may not travel between cities in Tamaulipas using interior Mexican highways. Travel between Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey is limited to Federal Highway 85D during daylight hours with prior authorization.
U.S. government employees may not travel to other parts of Tamaulipas state.
Zacatecas state – Do Not Travel
Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.
Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.
Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:
- Zacatecas City: U.S. government employee travel is limited to Zacatecas City proper, and employees may not travel overland to Zacatecas City.
- U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Zacatecas state.
Have you traveled to Mexico? Did you feel safe? Leave a comment in the comment section below:
