The Wayro route from Apache Junction to Hermosillo is 339 miles (545 km), about 6 h 22 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 165 on this route, near the Nogales port of entry.
| Distance | 339 mi (545 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 22 min |
| Main roads, in order | US-80 Hist → US-60 → AZ 79 → AZ 77 → I-19 → MEX-15D → MEX-15 |
| Border crossing | about mile 165 of this route, Arizona → Sonora (near the Nogales, AZ port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Sonora (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Hermosillo
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Hermosillo is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed: Hermosillo is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit |
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you cross |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito. Sonora free zone: Explore Sonora.
Crossing at Nogales
Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, share several crossings: DeConcini downtown is the main gateway for visitors and daily crossers, Morley Gate nearby serves pedestrians, and Mariposa on the west side handles commercial trucks. The city is also home to Arizona's only rail crossing.
What the drive from Apache Junction to Hermosillo is like
MEX-15D (121 mi) and I-19 (61 mi) carry about 54% of the 339 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 165 miles; after the border at Nogales you have about 174 miles left in Mexico. The Mexican leg uses MEX-15D, a toll highway (cuota). Of the 8 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Apache Junction to Hermosillo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US-80 Hist | 0–4 | 4 | Arizona |
| US-60 | 4–16 | 12 | Arizona |
| US-80 Hist | 16–33 | 17 | Arizona |
| AZ 79 | 33–39 | 6 | Arizona |
| US-80 Hist | 39–78 | 39 | Arizona |
| AZ 77 | 78–96 | 18 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 96–101 | 5 | Arizona |
| I-19 | 101–162 | 61 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 162–165 | 3 | Arizona |
| MEX-15D | 165–173 | 8 | Sonora |
| MEX-15 | 173–216 | 43 | Sonora |
| MEX-15D | 216–329 | 113 | Sonora |
| local roads | 329–339 | 10 | Sonora |
- Mile 165 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
Stops between Apache Junction and Hermosillo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): McFarland State Historic Park (mile 32), Tohono Chul Park (mile 91), Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 100), Mission San Xavier del Bac (mile 108), Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (mile 143), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 146)
- Nature and outdoors: McFarland State Historic Park (mile 32), Catalina State Park (mile 84), Tohono Chul Park (mile 91), Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (mile 143), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 146)
- Museums and history: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (mile 34), Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 100), Mission San Xavier del Bac (mile 108), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 146)
McFarland State Historic Park
In downtown Florence, this state historic park preserves the old courthouse from Arizona's territorial era, now a visitor center and museum where you can step into the historic courtroom. Picnic areas and shelters are on site.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Standing for more than 600 years, the Great House is the centerpiece of this preserved Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community near Coolidge. Visitors can also see the adobe walls of Compound A and a visitor center museum.
Catalina State Park
Covering 5,500 acres of foothills and canyons at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, the park has thousands of saguaros, more than 150 bird species, trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and guided walks at the Hohokam Romero Ruin.
Tohono Chul Park
Tohono Chul is a 49-acre Sonoran Desert botanical garden and nature preserve in the Tucson area, with themed gardens, desert trails, art galleries, a bistro and a children's museum. It opened to the public in 1985.
Cathedral of Saint Augustine
Mother church of the Diocese of Tucson, this downtown cathedral wears a 1928 cast-stone façade inspired by the Cathedral of Querétaro, Mexico, decorated with yucca and saguaro blossoms and a depiction of Mission San Xavier del Bac.
Mission San Xavier del Bac
Founded in 1692 by Father Eusebio Kino on what is now the Tohono O'odham Nation's San Xavier Reservation, the mission's white church, built 1783–1797, is a National Historic Landmark and active parish open to visitors.
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park
Known as Arizona's first state park, dedicated in 1958, it preserves ruins of the Spanish presidio founded in 1752. See the museum, an underground archaeology exhibit, and an 1885 territorial schoolhouse.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
An adobe mission church anchors this park in the Santa Cruz River valley, where O'odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries. Tour the mission grounds and visitor center, then walk the Anza Trail along the river.
When you get to Hermosillo
Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora, spreads across the Sonoran Desert on Federal Highway 15. The rocky Cerro de la Campana rises right beside downtown, and stone quarried from it built the 1908 state penitentiary that now holds the regional history museum. The cathedral and Plaza Zaragoza anchor the old center, a short walk from the Government Palace.
- Museo Regional de Sonora: INAH runs this museum inside the old state penitentiary, built of Cerro de la Campana stone in 1908 and used as a prison until 1979. source
- Cerro de la Campana: The city's landmark hill gives a panoramic view over Hermosillo, and its phonolite rocks ring like a bell when struck, which gave it its name. source
- Catedral de la Asunción: Dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, the cathedral on Plaza Zaragoza blends Baroque and neo-Gothic elements in an eclectic facade. source
Hermosillo Cathedral
Consecrated in 1908, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption pairs an eclectic facade of Baroque and neo-Gothic elements with a neoclassical interior; its dome was finished in 1963. A small 18th-century chapel once stood here.
More drives to Hermosillo
- Payson, AZ to Hermosillo
- Show Low, AZ to Hermosillo
- Coolidge, AZ to Hermosillo
- San Diego, CA to Hermosillo
- Williams, AZ to Hermosillo
- Tempe, AZ to Hermosillo
From Apache Junction to other places in Mexico
- Apache Junction, AZ to Cananea
- Apache Junction, AZ to Sonoyta
- Apache Junction, AZ to Cuauhtémoc
- Apache Junction, AZ to San Felipe
- Apache Junction, AZ to Magdalena de Kino
- Apache Junction, AZ to San Carlos
All routes to Hermosillo, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Hermosillo, Mexico from the U.S.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Apache Junction to Hermosillo?
About 6 h 22 min of driving without stops, over 339 miles.
How far is Hermosillo from Apache Junction by car?
About 339 miles (545 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Where does the Apache Junction to Hermosillo drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 165 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the Nogales port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Apache Junction to Hermosillo?
No vehicle permit is needed. Hermosillo is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit. You also need Mexican auto insurance and a passport book or card. An FMM entry permit is required too.
Is it safe to drive from Apache Junction to Hermosillo?
The U.S. State Department rates Sonora Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Apache Junction to Hermosillo use?
In order: US-80 Hist, US-60, AZ 79, AZ 77, I-19, MEX-15D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Apache Junction and Hermosillo?
Closest to the road: Tohono Chul Park (botanical garden, mile 91, 0.3 mi from the route); Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (state park, mile 143, 0.4 mi from the route); Tumacácori National Historical Park (National Historical Park, mile 146, 0.2 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway mile markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.