By road, Cabo Frio and Itu are about 414 miles (667 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 40 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Distance | 414 mi (667 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 40 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-140 → RJ-124 → BR-101 → BR-040 → BR-116 → SP-060 → SP-015 → SP-280 → SP-075 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
What the drive from Cabo Frio to Itu is like
BR-116 (214 mi) and BR-101 (46 mi) carry about 63% of the 414 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cabo Frio to Itu, 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 |
| SP-075 | 403–411 | 8 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 411–414 | 3 | São Paulo |
- Mile 208 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Stops between Cabo Frio and Itu
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Itatiaia National Park (mile 198), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 252)
- Nature and outdoors: Araruama Lagoon (mile 18), Reserva Florestal do Grajaú (mile 94), Itatiaia National Park (mile 198)
- Museums and history: Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro (mile 89), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 252), Casa Número Um (mile 354), Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi (mile 375)
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.
Carioca Aqueduct
Better known as Arcos da Lapa, the Carioca Aqueduct in Rio de Janeiro was built in the mid-18th century to carry fresh water from the Carioca River to the city.
Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro
Dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Rio's Old Cathedral is a Carmelite church that served as cathedral from around 1808 to 1976 and as Royal and then Imperial Chapel.
Reserva Florestal do Grajaú
Part of the Tijuca forest, Reserva Florestal do Grajaú is a 136-acre park in Rio's Grajaú neighborhood that covers a slope of the Serra dos Três Rios up to Tijuca National Park.
Itatiaia National Park
Created in 1937, Parque Nacional do Itatiaia holds the distinction of being Brazil's first national park. It sits on the border of two states, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.
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.
Casa Número Um
Casa Número Um is a three-story historic townhouse in central São Paulo, built where a rammed-earth house stood whose first recorded owner, in 1689, was Francisco Dias.
Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi
Named for Emanuel von Lauenstein Massarani, this contemporary art museum is housed in the Itapevi city council building, in the northeast part of the city.
In Itu itself
Parque da Rocha Moutonnée
In Salto, São Paulo, this park preserves a granite rock outcrop shaped by a Paleozoic glaciation 270 to 350 million years ago, found in 1946 and key evidence for the glacial origin of regional rocks.
Museu Republicano "Convencão de Itú"
Set in a townhouse in Itu where opponents of Brazil's monarchy met in 1873, the Republican Museum focuses on the period of the Old Republic.
FAMA Museu
Formerly the Museu São Pedro, FAMA Museu is a private museum open to the public in central Itu that holds the art collection of artist and collector Marcos Amaro.
More drives to Itu
- Araraquara to Itu
- Ribeirão Preto to Itu
- Bragança Paulista to Itu
- São Paulo to Itu
- São Vicente to Itu
- Santos to Itu
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 does it take to drive from Cabo Frio to Itu?
About 8 h 40 min of driving without stops, over 414 miles.
What is the driving distance from Cabo Frio to Itu?
About 414 miles (667 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 Itu 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 Itu use?
In order: RJ-140, RJ-124, BR-101, BR-040, BR-116, SP-060, SP-015, SP-280 and SP-075. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Cabo Frio and Itu?
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); Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi (museum, mile 375, 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.