Plan on about 7 h 56 min of driving for the 377-mile (607 km) trip from Buenos Aires to Atlántida, Uruguay, before any stops. You cross from Argentina into Uruguay at about mile 167, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
Full advisory: Argentina, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Argentina: “Drivers in Argentina tend to be aggressive, especially in Buenos Aires, and often ignore traffic regulations.”
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Distance by road | 377 mi (607 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 56 min |
| Main roads, in order | AV1-N → RN9 → RP6 → RN12 → RN14 → RN136 |
| Border crossing | about mile 167, Argentina → Uruguay (the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge) |
| Regions on the route | Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
The border on the way to Atlántida
The route crosses at about mile 167, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge, from Entre Ríos into Río Negro. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Argentina (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
| Driving in Argentina | A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
On the road from Buenos Aires to Atlántida
RN12 (47 mi) and RN9 (40 mi) carry about 23% of the 377 miles. The first 167 miles are in Argentina; the last 210 are in Uruguay. It runs through 8 regions: Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Buenos Aires and Atlántida
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| AV1-N | 2–8 | 6 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| connecting roads | 8–10 | 2 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| RN9 | 10–50 | 40 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires |
| RP6 | 50–55 | 5 | Buenos Aires |
| RN12 | 55–102 | 47 | Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos |
| RN14 | 102–138 | 36 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 138–145 | 7 | Entre Ríos |
| RN136 | 145–164 | 19 | Entre Ríos |
| connecting roads | 164–167 | 3 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 167–263 | 96 | Río Negro, Soriano |
| connecting roads | 263–264 | 1 | Soriano |
| local roads | 264–300 | 36 | Colonia, San José |
| connecting roads | 300–303 | 3 | San José |
| local roads | 303–377 | 74 | San José, Canelones |
- Mile 11 of this route: Ciudad de Buenos Aires → Buenos Aires (region line)
- Mile 72 of this route: Buenos Aires → Entre Ríos (region line)
- Mile 167 of this route: Entre Ríos → Río Negro (international border)
- Mile 183 of this route: Río Negro → Soriano (region line)
- Mile 264 of this route: Soriano → Colonia (region line)
- Mile 281 of this route: Colonia → San José (region line)
- Mile 325 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
What to see on the way from Buenos Aires to Atlántida
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Departamental de San José (mile 301), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 336)
- Nature and outdoors: Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park (mile 42)
- Museums and history: Sarmiento Historical Museum (mile 7), Carnacini House Museum (mile 12), Gualeguaychú Cathedral (mile 144), Calera Real del Dacá (mile 185), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 301), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 336)
Sarmiento Historical Museum
In the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires, the Sarmiento Historical Museum covers the Generation of '80 and the life of President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, with sections on Nicolás Avellaneda and the 1880 federalization.
Carnacini House Museum
Painter Ceferino Carnacini lived for fifty years in the house that is now the Carnacini House Museum (Museo Casa Carnacini), a municipal art museum in Villa Ballester, Argentina.
Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park
About 2,500 hectares of wetlands in Campana, Buenos Aires province, are protected as Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park. It's a Ramsar Site and home to the marsh deer and plenty of waterbirds.
Gualeguaychú Cathedral
In Gualeguaychú, Argentina, the Roman Catholic diocese has its cathedral church at St. Joseph's, also known as Gualeguaychú Cathedral.
Frigorífico Anglo del Uruguay
The former Anglo meatpacking plant on the Uruguay River at Fray Bentos began shipping frozen meat in 1924, on the site where Liebig exported meat extract and corned beef from 1865. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape inscribed in 2015.
Calera Real del Dacá
On the eastern edge of Mercedes beside the Dacá stream, the ruins of the Calera Real lime works date to 1722 and are considered the region's first industrial site; recent works added visitor circuits, lighting and interpretive signs.
Museo Departamental de San José
Set in central San José de Mayo, the Museo Departamental de San José is a history and fine arts museum that also runs a library, archives and cultural programs.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Construction of Canelones' Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe began in 1816; the church became a cathedral in 1961 and Uruguay's national shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2020.
Arriving in Atlántida
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Engineer Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker in Estación Atlántida, inaugurated in 1960, joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2021. Look for its wavy brick walls and roof, an openwork brick bell tower and an underground baptistery.
Laguna del Cisne
Near Salinas in Canelones, Laguna del Cisne is a subtropical lagoon of about 1.8 km², fed by a watershed of some 50 km², that has supplied drinking water to the Costa de Oro area since 1970.
More drives to Atlántida
- Paysandú to Atlántida
- Tacuarembó to Atlántida
- Rivera to Atlántida
- Artigas to Atlántida
- Bella Unión to Atlántida
- Durazno to Atlántida
More drives from Buenos Aires
- Buenos Aires to Magdalena
- Buenos Aires to Ayacucho, Argentina
- Buenos Aires to Sierra de La Ventana
- Buenos Aires to Luján
- Buenos Aires to San Antonio de Areco
- Buenos Aires to Arrecifes
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Buenos Aires to Atlántida, Uruguay?
About 7 h 56 min of driving without stops, over 377 miles.
How far is Atlántida, Uruguay from Buenos Aires by car?
About 377 miles (607 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 Buenos Aires to Atlántida drive cross the border?
At about mile 167, from Argentina into Uruguay, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Buenos Aires into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Buenos Aires to Atlántida drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Buenos Aires to Atlántida?
In order: AV1-N, RN9, RP6, RN12, RN14 and RN136. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Buenos Aires and Atlántida?
Closest to the road: Gualeguaychú Cathedral (cathedral, mile 144, 1 mi from the route); Museo Departamental de San José (history museum, mile 301, 0.7 mi from the route); Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 336, 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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 October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.