Every Wayro route we publish from U.S. cities to Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, with the border crossing each one uses and what you need to bring a U.S. car across.
About Nuevo Casas Grandes
Nuevo Casas Grandes is a ranching and farming town in northwestern Chihuahua, about three hours southwest of Ciudad Juárez. Most visitors come for Paquimé, the pre-Hispanic city just outside town that UNESCO inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1998, with some 2,000 earthen rooms and distinctive T-shaped doorways.
- Paquimé archaeological zone: This adobe city peaked in the 14th and 15th centuries as a trade link between the Pueblo cultures of the Southwest and Mesoamerica. source
- Museo de las Culturas del Norte: INAH's museum beside the ruins, opened in 1996, shows pottery and ornaments of stone, shell, bone and copper from Paquimé and nearby sites. source
- Casas Grandes: The neighboring Pueblo Mágico was formally established in 1661 around a Franciscan mission and sits right beside the Paquimé ruins. source
- Mata Ortiz: About 20 minutes beyond Casas Grandes, potters in this village revived Paquimé-style ceramics, a craft Juan Quezada rediscovered some six decades ago. source
Crossing into Mexico: what you need to drive to Nuevo Casas Grandes
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Nuevo Casas Grandes 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
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 30 of the routes below.
Columbus
The Columbus port sits in the village of Columbus, about 30 miles south of Deming, across from Palomas, Chihuahua. It handles pedestrians, passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, and it is also one of New Mexico's two livestock crossings. Used by 12 of the routes below.
Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa lies west of El Paso, about 12 miles from Interstate 10 via the Pete Domenici Highway, and pairs with San Jerónimo, Chihuahua. It is open to passenger vehicles, pedestrians and commercial trucks and offers a route into southern Ciudad Juárez and on toward Chihuahua City. Used by 8 of the routes below.
Antelope Wells
Antelope Wells is a small, remote port in New Mexico's Hidalgo County, reached by NM 81 from I-10, facing Berrendo, Chihuahua. It sees light traffic, mostly local ranchers and shuttle buses, and does not handle commercial trucks. Used by 3 of the routes below.
Tornillo
The Marcelino Serna port, on the Tornillo-Guadalupe bridge over the Rio Grande, is owned on the U.S. side by El Paso County. It has passenger-vehicle and pedestrian lanes, and on the Chihuahua side, at Caseta, the access road connects to Mexican Highway 2. Used by 3 of the routes below.
Ysleta
The Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge crosses the Rio Grande between El Paso's Lower Valley and the eastern side of Ciudad Juárez. It carries passenger vehicles, pedestrians and commercial trucks, with a northbound SENTRI lane for cars and a FAST lane for trucks. Used by 1 of the routes below.
Drives to Nuevo Casas Grandes from the U.S.
| From | Miles | Driving time | Border crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deming, NM | 151 | 3 h 37 min | Columbus |
| Bisbee, AZ | 165 | 4 h 4 min | Douglas |
| El Paso, TX | 175 | 4 h 3 min | Santa Teresa |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 190 | 4 h 37 min | Douglas |
| Silver City, NM | 203 | 4 h 49 min | Columbus |
| Las Cruces, NM | 207 | 4 h 34 min | Santa Teresa |
| Safford, AZ | 247 | 5 h 52 min | Antelope Wells |
| Nogales, AZ | 251 | 5 h 59 min | Douglas |
| Tucson, AZ | 258 | 5 h 57 min | Douglas |
| Alamogordo, NM | 263 | 5 h 43 min | Santa Teresa |
| Socorro, NM | 308 | 6 h 33 min | Columbus |
| Coolidge, AZ | 324 | 7 h 5 min | Douglas |
| Globe, AZ | 325 | 7 h 34 min | Antelope Wells |
| Casa Grande, AZ | 325 | 6 h 58 min | Douglas |
| Marfa, TX | 352 | 7 h 1 min | Tornillo |
| Chandler, AZ | 355 | 7 h 30 min | Douglas |
| Apache Junction, AZ | 359 | 8 h 8 min | Douglas |
| Gilbert, AZ | 361 | 7 h 41 min | Douglas |
| Mesa, AZ | 364 | 7 h 46 min | Douglas |
| Tempe, AZ | 368 | 7 h 38 min | Douglas |
| Phoenix, AZ | 372 | 7 h 40 min | Douglas |
| Scottsdale, AZ | 377 | 7 h 47 min | Douglas |
| Alpine, TX | 378 | 7 h 30 min | Tornillo |
| Roswell, NM | 379 | 8 h 12 min | Santa Teresa |
| Glendale, AZ | 382 | 7 h 52 min | Douglas |
| Albuquerque, NM | 384 | 7 h 43 min | Columbus |
| Peoria, AZ | 386 | 7 h 58 min | Douglas |
| Goodyear, AZ | 386 | 8 h 2 min | Douglas |
| Fountain Hills, AZ | 390 | 8 h 6 min | Douglas |
| Surprise, AZ | 398 | 8 h 9 min | Douglas |
| Cave Creek, AZ | 400 | 8 h 18 min | Douglas |
| Marathon, TX | 409 | 8 h 2 min | Tornillo |
| Show Low, AZ | 409 | 9 h 11 min | Antelope Wells |
| Wickenburg, AZ | 432 | 8 h 52 min | Douglas |
| Grants, NM | 439 | 8 h 48 min | Columbus |
| Santa Rosa, NM | 440 | 9 h 46 min | Santa Teresa |
| Santa Fe, NM | 446 | 8 h 43 min | Columbus |
| Payson, AZ | 447 | 9 h 11 min | Douglas |
| Camp Verde, AZ | 463 | 9 h 3 min | Douglas |
| Pine, AZ | 463 | 9 h 34 min | Douglas |
| Winslow, AZ | 465 | 10 h 42 min | Columbus |
| Portales, NM | 469 | 9 h 55 min | Santa Teresa |
| Espanola, NM | 469 | 9 h 17 min | Columbus |
| Prescott, AZ | 471 | 9 h 25 min | Douglas |
| Cottonwood, AZ | 474 | 9 h 21 min | Douglas |
| Clarkdale, AZ | 478 | 9 h 29 min | Douglas |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 480 | 9 h 29 min | Douglas |
| Jerome, AZ | 482 | 9 h 36 min | Douglas |
| Sedona, AZ | 487 | 9 h 35 min | Douglas |
| Clovis, NM | 488 | 10 h 20 min | Santa Teresa |
| Abiquiu, NM | 492 | 9 h 49 min | Columbus |
| Yuma, AZ | 497 | 9 h 32 min | Douglas |
| Tucumcari, NM | 500 | 10 h 43 min | Santa Teresa |
| Gallup, NM | 500 | 9 h 42 min | Columbus |
| Las Vegas, NM | 505 | 9 h 34 min | Columbus |
| Taos, NM | 514 | 10 h 22 min | Columbus |
| Lubbock, TX | 514 | 10 h 23 min | Ysleta |
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.