The Wayro route from Chino Valley to San Quintín is 541 miles (871 km), about 11 h 17 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 360 on this route, near the Tecate port of entry.
What the State Department tells travelers on this route:
- Baja California: “Travelers should remain on main highways and avoid remote locations.”
| Distance | 541 mi (871 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 11 h 17 min |
| Main roads, in order | AZ 89 → CR 15 → AZ 71 → US-60 → I-10 → CA-78 → CA-111 → I-8 → CA-94 → MEX-3 → MEX-3D → MEX-1 |
| Border crossing | about mile 360 of this route, California → Baja California (near the Tecate, CA port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Baja California (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-3D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for San Quintín
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: San Quintín is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed: Baja California is in Mexico's hassle-free zone for U.S. vehicles |
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you cross |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
Crossing at Tecate
The Tecate crossing sits about 40 miles southeast of San Diego and connects Tecate, California, with Tecate, Baja California. It is the smallest of the San Diego-area ports and handles both passenger vehicles and pedestrians.
Sources: [1]
What the drive from Chino Valley to San Quintín is like
MEX-1 (107 mi) and CA-78 (83 mi) carry about 35% of the 541 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona, California for about 360 miles; after the border at Tecate you have about 181 miles left in Mexico. The Mexican leg uses MEX-3D, a toll highway (cuota). Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Chino Valley to San Quintín, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ 89 | 0–9 | 9 | Arizona |
| local roads | 9–39 | 30 | Arizona |
| CR 15 | 39–43 | 4 | Arizona |
| AZ 89 | 43–65 | 22 | Arizona |
| AZ 71 | 65–89 | 24 | Arizona |
| US-60 | 89–144 | 55 | Arizona |
| I-10 | 144–181 | 37 | Arizona, California |
| connecting roads | 181–182 | 1 | California |
| CA-78 | 182–265 | 83 | California |
| CA-111 | 265–278 | 13 | California |
| connecting roads | 278–279 | 1 | California |
| I-8 | 279–331 | 52 | California |
| connecting roads | 331–332 | 1 | California |
| CA-94 | 332–358 | 26 | California |
| connecting roads | 358–360 | 2 | California |
| MEX-3 | 360–418 | 58 | Baja California |
| MEX-3D | 418–424 | 6 | Baja California |
| local roads | 424–434 | 10 | Baja California |
| MEX-1 | 434–541 | 107 | Baja California |
- Mile 175 of this route: Arizona → California (state line)
- Mile 360 of this route: California → Baja California (international border)
Stops between Chino Valley and San Quintín
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): In-Ko-Pah Gorge (mile 311), Desert View Tower (mile 319), Misión de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte (mile 403), Misión Santo Tomás de Aquino (mile 455), Misión San Vicente Ferrer (mile 479)
- Nature and outdoors: Algodones Dunes (mile 240), Yuha Desert (mile 299), In-Ko-Pah Gorge (mile 311), Desert View Tower (mile 319)
- Museums and history: Sharlot Hall Museum (mile 16), Misión de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte (mile 403), Misión Santo Tomás de Aquino (mile 455), Misión San Vicente Ferrer (mile 479)
Buckey O'Neill Monument
On Prescott's Courthouse Plaza, this Solon Borglum sculpture honors William "Buckey" O'Neill of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the Rough Riders. It is an easy stop on a stroll around the plaza.
Sharlot Hall Museum
Founded by Sharlot M. Hall in 1928, this four-acre museum campus in Prescott includes eight historic buildings, among them the 1864 Territorial Governor's Mansion. Exhibits, a stagecoach, and a rose garden honoring pioneer women round out a visit.
Algodones Dunes
Part of the BLM's Imperial Sand Dunes, this dune system stretches more than 40 miles across southeastern California, with dunes often reaching 300 feet; off-highway vehicles ride mostly south of Highway 78, while the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness welcomes only hikers and horseback riders.
Yuha Desert
South of Interstate 8 and west of El Centro, this Sonoran Desert basin holds Yuha Well, the favored water stop of the Anza expeditions of 1774–76. A State Historic Landmark plaque at the eastbound Sunbeam rest area on I-8 near Seeley tells the story.
In-Ko-Pah Gorge
Originally known as Myer Canyon, In-Ko-Pah Gorge is a deep, narrow canyon along the line between San Diego and Imperial Counties in the mountains of far southern California.
Desert View Tower
Off I-8 near Jacumba, a four-story stone tower built by Bert Vaughn starting in 1922 now serves as a small museum, and nearby Boulder Park has animals carved into granite boulders during the Depression.
Misión de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte
Founded in 1834 by Dominican friar Félix Caballero, the last mission of the colonial-era Californias survives as adobe ruins with an INAH museum in Francisco Zarco, in the heart of the Valle de Guadalupe wine country.
Misión Santo Tomás de Aquino
Dominican missionaries founded Misión Santo Tomás de Aquino in Baja California in 1791 and named it for Saint Thomas Aquinas, in the valley town of Santo Tomás south of Ensenada.
Misión San Vicente Ferrer
San Vicente, about 55 miles south of Ensenada, is the site of a Dominican mission founded in 1780; the town's community museum on the central park displays objects from the mission, Pai Pai artifacts, and mammoth fossils.
When you get to San Quintín
On Baja California's Pacific coast, roughly three hours south of Ensenada on Highway 1, San Quintín spreads across a farming valley beside a sheltered bay ringed by extinct volcanic cones. The area is known for sport fishing, oyster and abalone farms, and coastal wetlands where thousands of brant geese from Alaska and Canada spend the winter.
- Oyster farms: Shellfish farms in the bay raise several species, and you can visit the oyster growers and taste the catch right where it comes out of the water. source
- Volcanic cones: Extinct basaltic volcanoes such as Monte Ceniza, Punta Mazo and Riverol rise above the coastline and frame the bay. source
- San Quintín wetlands: The bay's wetlands shelter migratory birds and marine life, and in winter they host thousands of brant geese that fly down from Alaska and Canada. source
More drives to San Quintín
- Carlsbad, CA to San Quintín
- Nogales, AZ to San Quintín
- La Quinta, CA to San Quintín
- Yucca Valley, CA to San Quintín
- Santa Maria, CA to San Quintín
- Chandler, AZ to San Quintín
From Chino Valley to other places in Mexico
- Chino Valley, AZ to San Luis Río Colorado
- Chino Valley, AZ to Rosarito
- Chino Valley, AZ to Hermosillo
- Chino Valley, AZ to Guaymas
- Chino Valley, AZ to Cananea
- Chino Valley, AZ to Agua Prieta
All routes to San Quintín, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to San Quintín, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Chino Valley to San Quintín?
About 11 h 17 min of driving without stops, over 541 miles.
How far is San Quintín from Chino Valley by car?
About 541 miles (871 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 Chino Valley to San Quintín drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 360 of this route, from California into Baja California, near the Tecate port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Chino Valley to San Quintín?
No vehicle permit is needed. Baja California is in Mexico's hassle-free zone for U.S. vehicles. You also need Mexican auto insurance and a passport book or card. An FMM entry permit is required too.
Is it safe to drive from Chino Valley to San Quintín?
The U.S. State Department rates Baja California Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Chino Valley to San Quintín use?
In order: AZ 89, CR 15, AZ 71, US-60, I-10, CA-78, CA-111, I-8, CA-94, MEX-3, MEX-3D and MEX-1. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Chino Valley and San Quintín?
Closest to the road: In-Ko-Pah Gorge (canyon, mile 311, 0.2 mi from the route); Desert View Tower (observation tower, mile 319, 0.2 mi from the route); Misión Santo Tomás de Aquino (spanish mission, mile 455, 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 mile 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 (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city 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 September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.