By road, Cabo Frio and Itapetininga are about 459 miles (739 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 34 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 | 459 mi (739 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 34 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-140 → RJ-124 → BR-101 → BR-040 → BR-116 → SP-060 → SP-015 → SP-280 → SP-075 → SPI 091/270 → SP-270 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Cabo Frio to Itapetininga: the shape of the trip
BR-116 (214 mi) and BR-101 (46 mi) carry about 57% of the 459 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cabo Frio to Itapetininga, road by road
| 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 | 104–318 | 214 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SP-060 | 318–352 | 34 | São Paulo |
| SP-015 | 352–362 | 10 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 362–366 | 4 | São Paulo |
| SP-280 | 366–403 | 37 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 403–404 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-075 | 404–407 | 3 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 407–408 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SPI 091/270 | 408–412 | 4 | São Paulo |
| SP-270 | 412–457 | 45 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 457–459 | 2 | São Paulo |
- Mile 208 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Cabo Frio and Itapetininga
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 111), Itatiaia National Park (mile 198), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 252), Museu do Relógio Professor Dimas de Melo Pimenta (mile 362), Municipal Zoological Park Quinzinho de Barros (mile 414)
- Nature and outdoors: Araruama Lagoon (mile 18), Tijuca National Park (mile 93), Itatiaia National Park (mile 198)
- Museums and history: Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 111), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 252), Sexual Diversity Museum (mile 355), Museu do Relógio Professor Dimas de Melo Pimenta (mile 362)
- With kids: Municipal Zoological Park Quinzinho de Barros (mile 414)
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.
Tijuca National Park
Covering mountains inside the city of Rio de Janeiro, Tijuca National Park is an urban national park within the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.
Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga
Also known as Nova Iguaçu Cathedral, the Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga stands on Avenida Marechal Floriano Peixoto and is the mother church of the Diocese of Nova Iguaçu.
Itatiaia National Park
Brazil's national park system started here: Itatiaia National Park (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia) was created in 1937 as the country's first. The protected area lies on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states.
Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida
In 1717, fishermen on the Paraíba do Sul River pulled up an image of Our Lady Aparecida. Today it rests in Brazil's National Shrine in Aparecida, a basilica consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1980.
Sexual Diversity Museum
Created in 2012 by the São Paulo state culture secretariat, the Museum of Sexual Diversity promotes LGBT culture in Brazil through temporary and traveling exhibitions.
Teatro da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo
Teatro da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo is a theater in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.
Museu do Relógio Professor Dimas de Melo Pimenta
This themed clock museum in Vila Leopoldina, in São Paulo's West Zone, traces the history and technology of timekeeping through many types of clocks, and links accurate time to weather forecasting.
Municipal Zoological Park Quinzinho de Barros
Sorocaba's municipal zoo, Quinzinho de Barros, covers about 37 acres in São Paulo state and belongs to the Society of Brazilian Zoos.
More drives to Itapetininga
- Itu to Itapetininga
- Campinas to Itapetininga
- Jundiaí to Itapetininga
- Limeira to Itapetininga
- São Paulo to Itapetininga
- Bragança Paulista to Itapetininga
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 Itapetininga?
About 9 h 34 min of driving without stops, over 459 miles.
How far is Itapetininga from Cabo Frio by car?
About 459 miles (739 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 Itapetininga 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 Itapetininga use?
In order: RJ-140, RJ-124, BR-101, BR-040, BR-116, SP-060, SP-015, SP-280, SP-075, SPI 091/270 and SP-270. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Cabo Frio to Itapetininga?
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); Museu do Relógio Professor Dimas de Melo Pimenta (museum, mile 362, 0.6 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.