By road, Cabo Frio and Cubatão are about 390 miles (627 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 20 min of driving.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance by road | 390 mi (627 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 20 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-140 → RJ-124 → BR-101 → BR-040 → BR-116 → SPI 117/070 → SP-070 → SP-021 → SP-150 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Cabo Frio to Cubatão is like
BR-116 (176 mi) and BR-101 (46 mi) carry about 57% of the 390 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Cabo Frio to Cubatão
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-140 | 2–9 | 7 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 9–12 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-124 | 12–47 | 35 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 47–93 | 46 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 93–102 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 102–104 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 104–280 | 176 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 280–281 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SPI 117/070 | 281–323 | 42 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 323–339 | 16 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 339–341 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 341–369 | 28 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 369–371 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-150 | 371–389 | 18 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 389–390 | 1 | São Paulo |
- Mile 208 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
What to see on the way from Cabo Frio to Cubatão
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Itatiaia National Park (mile 198), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 252), Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (mile 365)
- Nature and outdoors: Araruama Lagoon (mile 18), Itatiaia National Park (mile 198), Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (mile 365)
- Museums and history: Museu da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (mile 92), Museu Militar Conde de Linhares (mile 93), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 252), Museu Mazzaropi (mile 275), Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (mile 313)
Araruama Lagoon
In Rio de Janeiro state's Região dos Lagos, Araruama Lagoon is a permanent hypersaline lagoon covering 220 km², about 40 km long and 13 km wide.
Pedra de Itapuca
Between Icaraí and Flechas beaches in Niterói, Pedra de Itapuca is a rock formation considered one of the symbols of the city.
Museu da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Museu da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro is a themed museum that preserves and presents the history of Rio de Janeiro's state military police.
Museu Militar Conde de Linhares
In Rio de Janeiro's São Cristóvão neighborhood, the Museu Militar Conde de Linhares covers military history and is named for the nobleman who accompanied the Portuguese court's move to Brazil.
Itatiaia National Park
Straddling the line between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, Itatiaia National Park dates to 1937, when it became the first national park Brazil ever created.
Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida
Brazil's National Shrine in Aparecida houses the image of Our Lady Aparecida that fishermen pulled from the Paraíba do Sul River in 1717. Work on the current basilica began in 1955, and Pope John Paul II consecrated it in 1980.
Museu Mazzaropi
On the grounds of comedian and filmmaker Amácio Mazzaropi's former studio in Taubaté, this museum displays more than 20,000 items, including photos, furniture, props and equipment his PAM Filmes used from 1950 to 1980.
Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley
Housed in an 1857 mansion in Jacareí, the Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (Museu de Antropologia do Vale do Paraíba) shows sacred and folk art, paintings, and archaeological finds such as ceramic vessels and stone tools.
Pedroso Municipal Nature Park
Santo André's Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (Parque do Pedroso) is a strictly protected conservation unit that holds important water sources and a fragment of Atlantic Forest.
Once you reach Cubatão
Santos Botanical Garden
Named for activist Chico Mendes, Santos Botanical Garden is an ecological park that preserves plant species and grows seedlings for the beachfront gardens and other public spaces of Santos.
Museum of Natural Sciences and Cultural Center Jewels of Nature
São Vicente's Museum of Natural Sciences and Cultural Center Jewels of Nature (Joias da Natureza) is a museum of mineralogy and natural sciences in São Paulo state.
Calçada do Lorena
Calçada do Lorena, in the Serra do Mar of São Paulo state, was the first paved road linking São Paulo to Santos, built on the orders of governor Bernardo José Maria de Lorena.
More drives to Cubatão
- São Paulo to Cubatão
- Jundiaí to Cubatão
- Bragança Paulista to Cubatão
- Itu to Cubatão
- Campinas to Cubatão
- Limeira to Cubatão
From Cabo Frio to other places in Brazil
- Cabo Frio to Nova Friburgo
- Cabo Frio to Teresópolis
- Cabo Frio to Itaguaí
- Cabo Frio to Barra Mansa
- Cabo Frio to Angra dos Reis
- Cabo Frio to Resende
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cabo Frio to Cubatão?
About 8 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 390 miles.
What is the driving distance from Cabo Frio to Cubatão?
About 390 miles (627 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Cabo Frio to Cubatão drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cabo Frio to Cubatão use?
In order: RJ-140, RJ-124, BR-101, BR-040, BR-116, SPI 117/070, SP-070, SP-021 and SP-150. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Cabo Frio and Cubatão?
Closest to the road: Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 198, 0.2 mi from the route); Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (basilica, mile 252, 0.4 mi from the route); Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (municipal nature park, mile 365, 0.7 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.