The Wayro route from Flagstaff to Bahía de Kino is 560 miles (901 km), about 9 h 43 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 322 on this route, near the Nogales port of entry.
| Distance | 560 mi (901 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-17 → I-10 → I-19 → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → SON 80 → SON 100 |
| Border crossing | about mile 322 of this route, Arizona → Sonora (near the Nogales, AZ port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Sonora (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for 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.
Crossing at 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.
What the drive from Flagstaff to Bahía de Kino is like
I-17 (158 mi) and MEX-15D (119 mi) carry about 49% of the 560 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 322 miles; after the border at Nogales you have about 238 miles left in Mexico. The Mexican leg uses MEX-15D, a toll highway (cuota). Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Flagstaff to Bahía de Kino, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Arizona |
| I-17 | 2–160 | 158 | Arizona |
| I-10 | 160–257 | 97 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 257–258 | 1 | Arizona |
| I-19 | 258–318 | 60 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 318–321 | 3 | Arizona |
| MEX-15D | 321–329 | 8 | Arizona, Sonora |
| MEX-15 | 329–372 | 43 | Sonora |
| MEX-15D | 372–483 | 111 | Sonora |
| SON 80 | 483–488 | 5 | Sonora |
| local roads | 488–500 | 12 | Sonora |
| SON 100 | 500–559 | 59 | Sonora |
| local roads | 559–560 | 1 | Sonora |
- Mile 322 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
Stops between Flagstaff and Bahía de Kino
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Montezuma Castle National Monument (mile 51), Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude (mile 136), Arizona State Capitol (mile 142), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 302)
- Nature and outdoors: Oak Creek Canyon (mile 18), Picacho Peak State Park (mile 217), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 302)
- Museums and history: Montezuma Castle National Monument (mile 51), Agua Fria National Monument (mile 90), Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude (mile 136), Arizona State Capitol (mile 142), Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (mile 190), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 302)
Oak Creek Canyon
Between Sedona and Flagstaff, State Route 89A follows this red-rock gorge for about 15 miles, climbing roughly 2,200 feet with hairpin turns and passing Midgley Bridge, Oak Creek Vista, and Slide Rock State Park.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Tucked into an alcove about 90 feet up a limestone cliff, this 20-room Sinagua dwelling is viewed from below. Established in 1906, the monument also includes Montezuma Well, a separate unit that once supplied the Sinagua with water.
Agua Fria National Monument
About 40 miles north of Phoenix off I-17, this BLM monument protects mesa-top pueblo ruins, petroglyph panels, and the Agua Fria River canyon, with hiking, birding, and primitive camping; much of Bloody Basin Road needs high clearance.
Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude
Seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix since 1969, this cathedral was dedicated in 1966 and has welcomed Pope John Paul II in 1987 and Mother Teresa in 1989.
Arizona State Capitol
Built from 1898 to 1901 and topped by a copper dome and a Winged Victory weathervane, Arizona's historic capitol now houses the Arizona Capitol Museum, including USS Arizona artifacts. Monuments and memorials fill Wesley Bolin Plaza outside.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Standing for more than 600 years, the Great House is the centerpiece of this preserved Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community near Coolidge. Visitors can also see the adobe walls of Compound A and a visitor center museum.
Picacho Peak State Park
Between Tucson and Casa Grande off I-10, the park surrounds 1,500-foot Picacho Peak, site of the 1862 Battle of Picacho Pass. Expect hiking trails, a campground, and spring displays of Mexican gold poppies.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
An adobe mission church anchors this park in the Santa Cruz River valley, where O'odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries. Tour the mission grounds and visitor center, then walk the Anza Trail along the river.
When you get to 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
More drives to Bahía de Kino
- Jerome, AZ to Bahía de Kino
- Clarkdale, AZ to Bahía de Kino
- Phoenix, AZ to Bahía de Kino
- Casa Grande, AZ to Bahía de Kino
- Silver City, NM to Bahía de Kino
- El Centro, CA to Bahía de Kino
From Flagstaff to other places in Mexico
- Flagstaff, AZ to Agua Prieta
- Flagstaff, AZ to San Luis Río Colorado
- Flagstaff, AZ to Sonoyta
- Flagstaff, AZ to Tijuana
- Flagstaff, AZ to Nogales
- Flagstaff, AZ to Mexicali
All routes to Bahía de Kino, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Bahía de Kino, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Flagstaff to Bahía de Kino?
About 9 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 560 miles.
How far is Bahía de Kino from Flagstaff by car?
About 560 miles (901 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 Flagstaff to Bahía de Kino drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 322 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the Nogales port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Flagstaff to Bahía de Kino?
No vehicle permit is 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. 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 Flagstaff to Bahía de Kino?
The U.S. State Department rates Sonora Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Flagstaff to Bahía de Kino use?
In order: I-17, I-10, I-19, MEX-15D, MEX-15, SON 80 and SON 100. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Flagstaff and Bahía de Kino?
Closest to the road: Montezuma Castle National Monument (National monument, mile 51, 0.6 mi from the route); Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude (catholic cathedral, mile 136, 0.2 mi from the route); Tumacácori National Historical Park (National Historical Park, mile 302, 0.2 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.