By road, Catalão and Ubá are about 535 miles (861 km) apart, or roughly 13 h 28 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 | 535 mi (861 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 13 h 28 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-050 → LMG-748 → BR-365 → MG-230 → MG-187 → BR-262 → BR-381 → BR-040 → CNL-205 → MGC-482 → MG-132 → MG-275 → MG-124 |
| States on the route | Goiás, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Catalão to Ubá drive plays out
BR-262 (176 mi) and BR-365 (69 mi) carry about 46% of the 535 miles. It runs through 2 states: Goiás, Minas Gerais. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Catalão to Ubá, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Goiás |
| BR-050 | 2–46 | 44 | Goiás, Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 46–47 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| LMG-748 | 47–68 | 21 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-365 | 68–137 | 69 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-230 | 137–153 | 16 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-187 | 153–201 | 48 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-262 | 201–377 | 176 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 377–385 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 385–388 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 388–440 | 52 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 440–441 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| CNL-205 | 441–446 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 446–450 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| MGC-482 | 450–470 | 20 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-132 | 470–479 | 9 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-275 | 479–499 | 20 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-124 | 499–533 | 34 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 533–535 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 21 of this route: Goiás → Minas Gerais (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Ubá
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Rola-Moça State Park (mile 396)
- Museums and history: Catedral Diocesana Nossa Senhora da Luz (mile 268), Nair Mendes Moreira House of Culture (mile 381), Casa de Cacos (mile 382), Pampulha Art Museum (mile 387), Museu da Imagem e Memória (mile 433)
Catedral Diocesana Nossa Senhora da Luz
In the town of Luz, Minas Gerais, the diocesan Cathedral of Our Lady of Light is regarded as the town's leading cultural landmark and was listed as historic heritage in November 2016.
Nair Mendes Moreira House of Culture
Known locally as Casa do Registro, the Casa da Cultura Nair Mendes Moreira is an 18th-century house in Contagem. Local tradition links it to a Portuguese Crown post that counted goods and checked tax payments.
Casa de Cacos
Casa de Cacos in Contagem is a museum and an example of fantastic architecture, built and decorated entirely by geologist Carlos Luís de Almeida and considered the only one of its kind in Brazil.
Pampulha Modern Ensemble
Laid out around the artificial Lake Pampulha in Belo Horizonte, the Pampulha Modern Ensemble is an urban project that includes a casino, a ballroom, the Golf Yacht Club and the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Pampulha Art Museum
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer as the Cassino da Pampulha, the Pampulha Art Museum in Belo Horizonte is part of the Pampulha Modern Ensemble, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016.
Piemonte Tower
Rising 101 meters on a mountain ridge between the Serra do Curral and Serra do Rola-Moça, Piemonte Tower (Torre Piemonte) is a tourist structure at the Alta Vila shopping center on the Nova Lima–Belo Horizonte line.
Serra do Rola-Moça State Park
On the edge of metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Serra do Rola-Moça State Park protects rugged ridges of the Espinhaço range where cerrado savanna meets Atlantic Forest.
Museu da Imagem e Memória
Housed in the two-story Casarão dos Fonseca, the Museu da Imagem e Memória in Congonhas shows photographs, documents and old objects that tell the history of the town and its people.
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, this hilltop sanctuary in Congonhas is famous for Aleijadinho's 12 soapstone prophets on the front terraces and six chapels holding 64 life-size cedar figures of the Passion.
More drives to Ubá
- Rio de Janeiro to Ubá
- Niterói to Ubá
- Cabo Frio to Ubá
- Itaguaí to Ubá
- Guaratinguetá to Ubá
- Pouso Alegre to Ubá
From Catalão to other places in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Catalão to Ubá?
About 13 h 28 min of driving without stops, over 535 miles.
How far is Ubá from Catalão by car?
About 535 miles (861 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.
Is it safe to drive from Catalão to Ubá?
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 Catalão to Ubá use?
In order: BR-050, LMG-748, BR-365, MG-230, MG-187, BR-262, BR-381, BR-040, CNL-205, MGC-482, MG-132, MG-275 and MG-124. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Catalão to Ubá?
Closest to the road: Catedral Diocesana Nossa Senhora da Luz (cathedral, mile 268, 1 mi from the route); Piemonte Tower (observation tower, mile 391, 1 mi from the route); Museu da Imagem e Memória (museum, mile 433, 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.