Every Wayro route we publish from U.S. cities to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, with the border crossing each one uses and what you need to bring a U.S. car across.
About Chihuahua
Silver strikes at nearby Santa Eulalia in 1704 led to the founding of Chihuahua in 1709, where the Chuvíscar and Sacramento rivers meet on the high plains of the north. Today the state capital's historic center gathers around a Baroque cathedral built from 1725 to 1826, with mansions and museums tied to the Mexican Revolution a few blocks away.
- Catedral de Chihuahua: Facing the Plaza de Armas, the Baroque cathedral took more than a century to build, and a museum of sacred art occupies a basement behind it. source
- Palacio de Gobierno: Murals trace Chihuahua's history from colonial times to the Revolution, and the building marks the spot where Father Miguel Hidalgo was executed. source
- Museo Casa de Villa: Pancho Villa's former home preserves his belongings, including the car in which he was assassinated in Hidalgo del Parral. source
- Quinta Gameros: An Art Nouveau mansion designed by Colombian architect Julio Corredor, now a cultural center furnished with period pieces. source
- Grutas Nombre de Dios: About 20 minutes from downtown, walkways lead through a cave of stalactites and stalagmites. source
Crossing into Mexico: what you need to drive to Chihuahua
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Chihuahua is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required for a U.S.-registered vehicle this far into Mexico |
| 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.
Where drivers cross the border
El Paso
El Paso and Ciudad Juárez are joined by several Rio Grande bridges, including Paso del Norte downtown for pedestrians and northbound cars, Stanton Street with a northbound SENTRI lane, and the Bridge of the Americas for passenger vehicles and trucks. Paso del Norte also has Ready Lanes. Used by 12 of the routes below.
Douglas
The Raul Hector Castro port in Douglas sits directly across from Agua Prieta, Sonora. It inspects passenger vehicles, pedestrians and commercial trucks, and GSA plans to move truck traffic to a new stand-alone commercial port about 4.5 miles away. Used by 7 of the routes below.
Presidio
The Presidio-Ojinaga International Bridge, run on the U.S. side by TxDOT, links Presidio with Ojinaga, Chihuahua. It handles passenger vehicles, pedestrians, buses and trucks, has SENTRI and FAST lanes, and joins US 67 to Mexican Highway 16. Used by 6 of the routes below.
Drives to Chihuahua from the U.S.
| From | Miles | Driving time | Border crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marfa, TX | 213 | 4 h 40 min | Presidio |
| El Paso, TX | 229 | 4 h 22 min | El Paso |
| Alpine, TX | 239 | 5 h 9 min | Presidio |
| Marathon, TX | 270 | 5 h 41 min | Presidio |
| Las Cruces, NM | 273 | 5 h 11 min | El Paso |
| Alamogordo, NM | 316 | 6 h 2 min | El Paso |
| Deming, NM | 330 | 5 h 59 min | El Paso |
| Bisbee, AZ | 347 | 8 h 6 min | Douglas |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 372 | 8 h 39 min | Douglas |
| Silver City, NM | 383 | 7 h 11 min | El Paso |
| Socorro, NM | 418 | 7 h 23 min | El Paso |
| Roswell, NM | 432 | 8 h 32 min | El Paso |
| Nogales, AZ | 433 | 10 h 1 min | Douglas |
| Tucson, AZ | 440 | 9 h 59 min | Douglas |
| Del Rio, TX | 444 | 8 h 53 min | Presidio |
| Safford, AZ | 466 | 8 h 28 min | El Paso |
| San Angelo, TX | 469 | 9 h 25 min | Presidio |
| Santa Rosa, NM | 493 | 10 h 6 min | El Paso |
| Albuquerque, NM | 494 | 8 h 33 min | El Paso |
| Coolidge, AZ | 506 | 11 h 7 min | Douglas |
| Casa Grande, AZ | 507 | 11 h 0 min | Douglas |
| Portales, NM | 521 | 10 h 15 min | El Paso |
| Lubbock, TX | 522 | 10 h 12 min | Presidio |
| Las Vegas, NM | 538 | 10 h 55 min | El Paso |
| Apache Junction, AZ | 541 | 12 h 9 min | Douglas |
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.