Every Wayro route we publish from U.S. cities to Los Mochis, Sinaloa, with the border crossing each one uses and what you need to bring a U.S. car across.
About Los Mochis
Los Mochis is a young farming and commercial city in northern Sinaloa, near the Gulf of California and the port of Topolobampo. The Chepe Express train to Creel departs from here, and the name is often translated from the local Indigenous language as 'place of the turtles.'
- Parque Sinaloa botanical garden: Created by sugar entrepreneur Benjamin Francis Johnston, the garden works as a living collection of plants gathered from around the world. source
- Isla El Maviri: About 20 minutes from the city and 6 km from Topolobampo, El Maviri has calm water for swimming and beach days. source
- Chepe Express to the Copper Canyon: The Chepe Express leaves Los Mochis for Creel, reaching colonial El Fuerte in about an hour and a half. source
Crossing into Mexico: what you need to drive to Los Mochis
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Los Mochis 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
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 3 of the routes below.
Drives to Los Mochis from the U.S.
| From | Miles | Driving time | Border crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nogales, AZ | 478 | 7 h 57 min | Nogales |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 539 | 9 h 18 min | Nogales |
| Tucson, AZ | 545 | 9 h 0 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.