Every Wayro route we publish from U.S. cities to Bahía de Kino, Sonora, with the border crossing each one uses and what you need to bring a U.S. car across.
About Bahía de Kino
Bahía de Kino is a fishing and beach town on Sonora's Sea of Cortez coast, roughly 90 minutes west of Hermosillo, named for the Jesuit missionary Eusebio Kino. Offshore lies Isla Tiburón, which Mexico's Culture Ministry calls the country's largest island; it is communally owned by the Seri (Comcaac) people and belongs to the Gulf of California islands UNESCO inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2005.
- Isla Tiburón: The big island across the channel is communally owned by the Seri people, who regard it as sacred, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage property. source
- Museo de los Seris: The small museum on the plaza in Kino Nuevo explains the history of the Seri, once seminomadic hunter-gatherers of this coast. source
- Kino Nuevo beachfront: More than 15 km of shoreline here has calm water suited to swimming and kayaking, with Kino Nuevo's strip of houses and trailer parks along it. source
- Kino Viejo: The older fishing village at the south end of the bay is where the town began as a base for fishing. source
- Seri ironwood carvings: Along the beach in Kino Nuevo, Seri artisans sell traditional ironwood carvings, with more genuine crafts found at their own settlements. source
Crossing into Mexico: what you need to drive to Bahía de Kino
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Bahía de Kino is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed: Bahía de Kino is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit |
| 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. Sonora free zone: Explore Sonora.
Where drivers cross the border
Nogales
Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, share several crossings: DeConcini downtown is the main gateway for visitors and daily crossers, Morley Gate nearby serves pedestrians, and Mariposa on the west side handles commercial trucks. The city is also home to Arizona's only rail crossing. Used by 37 of the routes below.
Calexico West
Calexico West sits in downtown Calexico, directly across from Mexicali, and GSA describes it as the main border crossing linking the Imperial Valley to Baja California. It handles passenger vehicles and pedestrians and is in the middle of a multi-phase federal modernization. Used by 1 of the routes below.
Drives to Bahía de Kino from the U.S.
| From | Miles | Driving time | Border crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nogales, AZ | 240 | 4 h 50 min | Nogales |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 301 | 6 h 11 min | Nogales |
| Tucson, AZ | 307 | 5 h 53 min | Nogales |
| Bisbee, AZ | 326 | 6 h 45 min | Nogales |
| Coolidge, AZ | 369 | 6 h 58 min | Nogales |
| Casa Grande, AZ | 370 | 6 h 51 min | Nogales |
| Safford, AZ | 393 | 7 h 50 min | Nogales |
| Chandler, AZ | 400 | 7 h 23 min | Nogales |
| Apache Junction, AZ | 403 | 7 h 60 min | Nogales |
| Gilbert, AZ | 406 | 7 h 33 min | Nogales |
| Globe, AZ | 408 | 8 h 14 min | Nogales |
| Mesa, AZ | 408 | 7 h 38 min | Nogales |
| Tempe, AZ | 413 | 7 h 30 min | Nogales |
| Phoenix, AZ | 416 | 7 h 32 min | Nogales |
| Scottsdale, AZ | 421 | 7 h 39 min | Nogales |
| Glendale, AZ | 427 | 7 h 45 min | Nogales |
| Peoria, AZ | 431 | 7 h 51 min | Nogales |
| Goodyear, AZ | 431 | 7 h 54 min | Nogales |
| Fountain Hills, AZ | 435 | 7 h 58 min | Nogales |
| Surprise, AZ | 443 | 8 h 1 min | Nogales |
| Cave Creek, AZ | 444 | 8 h 10 min | Nogales |
| Silver City, NM | 465 | 8 h 56 min | Nogales |
| Wickenburg, AZ | 477 | 8 h 44 min | Nogales |
| Deming, NM | 481 | 8 h 59 min | Nogales |
| Show Low, AZ | 492 | 9 h 51 min | Nogales |
| Payson, AZ | 492 | 9 h 3 min | Nogales |
| Pine, AZ | 508 | 9 h 26 min | Nogales |
| Camp Verde, AZ | 508 | 8 h 55 min | Nogales |
| El Centro, CA | 513 | 10 h 51 min | Calexico West |
| Prescott, AZ | 516 | 9 h 17 min | Nogales |
| Cottonwood, AZ | 519 | 9 h 14 min | Nogales |
| Clarkdale, AZ | 523 | 9 h 21 min | Nogales |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 525 | 9 h 21 min | Nogales |
| Jerome, AZ | 527 | 9 h 28 min | Nogales |
| Sedona, AZ | 532 | 9 h 27 min | Nogales |
| Las Cruces, NM | 540 | 9 h 56 min | Nogales |
| Yuma, AZ | 542 | 9 h 24 min | Nogales |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 560 | 9 h 43 min | Nogales |
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.