Plan on about 11 h 49 min of driving for the 550-mile (885 km) trip from Buenos Aires to Chuy, 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: “Traffic fatalities are high in Uruguay.”
| Distance | 550 mi (885 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 11 h 49 min |
| Main roads, in order | AV1-N → RN9 → RP6 → RN12 → RN14 → RN136 → I-B |
| 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, Maldonado, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Border crossing: what to bring for Uruguay
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.
Driving Buenos Aires to Chuy: the shape of the trip
RN12 (47 mi) and RN9 (40 mi) carry about 16% of the 550 miles. The first 167 miles are in Argentina; the last 383 are in Uruguay. It runs through 10 regions: Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Buenos Aires to Chuy
| 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 | 303–400 | 97 | San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 400–405 | 5 | Maldonado |
| connecting roads | 405–406 | 1 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 406–550 | 144 | Maldonado, Rocha |
- 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)
- Mile 395 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (region line)
- Mile 452 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Buenos Aires and Chuy
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 185), Teatro Macció (mile 301), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 336), Teatro 25 de Mayo (mile 469), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 528)
- Nature and outdoors: Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 406), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 528)
- Museums and history: Sarmiento Historical Museum (mile 7), Gualeguaychú Cathedral (mile 144), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 185), 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.
Gualeguaychú Cathedral
St. Joseph's Cathedral, also called Gualeguaychú Cathedral, serves as the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gualeguaychú in Argentina.
Cathedral of Mercedes
Mercedes, Uruguay, centers its Catholic life on the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy, which became the seat of the local diocese in 1960.
Teatro Macció
San José de Mayo's Teatro Bartolomé Macció is a traditional theater, regarded as the city's most important building architecturally and declared a Historic Monument of Uruguay in 1984.
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.
Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station
Near Piriápolis in Maldonado, this breeding station for native wildlife on Cerro Pan de Azúcar is surrounded by native vegetation and offers guided visits, including a native wildlife trail and a path up the hill.
Teatro 25 de Mayo
Rocha's Teatro 25 de Mayo opened in 1910 as an Italian-style theater in the eclectic style, with room for about 400 people. Now a cultural complex, it is a stop on the city's self-guided heritage walk.
Santa Teresa National Park
Santa Teresa National Park on Rocha's coast was created to frame the colonial Santa Teresa Fortress; its grounds hold more than two million planted trees from five continents, a greenhouse and native wetland and woodland wildlife.
Parque Nacional Laguna Negra
In Rocha department, Laguna Negra National Park protects the waters of Laguna Negra, the Potrerillo de Santa Teresa biological station and part of Santa Teresa National Park north of Route 9.
More drives to Chuy
- Minas to Chuy
- Montevideo to Chuy
- Durazno to Chuy
- Colonia del Sacramento to Chuy
- Carmelo to Chuy
- Mercedes, Uruguay to Chuy
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 Chuy, Uruguay?
About 11 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 550 miles.
How far is Chuy, Uruguay from Buenos Aires by car?
About 550 miles (885 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 Chuy 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.)
Is it safe to drive from Buenos Aires to Chuy, Uruguay?
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.
What roads does the drive from Buenos Aires to Chuy use?
In order: AV1-N, RN9, RP6, RN12, RN14, RN136 and I-B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Buenos Aires to Chuy?
Closest to the road: Cathedral of Mercedes (cathedral, mile 185, 0.7 mi from the route); Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 336, 0.2 mi from the route); Santa Teresa National Park (national park, mile 528, 0.1 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.