By road, Fortaleza and Caxias are about 411 miles (662 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 40 min of driving.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance | 411 mi (662 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 40 min |
| Main roads, in order | CE-020 → BR-222 → BR-343 → BR-316 |
| States on the route | Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Fortaleza to Caxias: the shape of the trip
BR-222 (255 mi) and BR-343 (99 mi) carry about 86% of the 411 miles. It runs through 3 states: Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Fortaleza to Caxias: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Ceará |
| CE-020 | 4–7 | 3 | Ceará |
| connecting roads | 7–10 | 3 | Ceará |
| BR-222 | 10–265 | 255 | Ceará, Piauí |
| BR-343 | 265–364 | 99 | Piauí |
| local roads | 364–375 | 11 | Piauí, Maranhão |
| BR-316 | 375–409 | 34 | Maranhão |
| local roads | 409–411 | 2 | Maranhão |
- Mile 221 of this route: Ceará → Piauí (state line)
- Mile 372 of this route: Piauí → Maranhão (state line)
Places worth a stop between Fortaleza and Caxias
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior (mile 316), Memorial Esperança Garcia (mile 368), Museu do Piauí (mile 370)
- Nature and outdoors: Praia de Iparana (mile 9), Ubajara National Park (mile 180), Sete Cidades National Park (mile 252)
- Museums and history: Sobral Cathedral (mile 142), Museu Dom José (mile 142), St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior (mile 316), Memorial Esperança Garcia (mile 368), Museu do Piauí (mile 370)
Praia de Iparana
About 18 km from Fortaleza in Caucaia, Praia de Iparana has calm water, small bays and long stretches of fine sand, with easy access that draws visitors.
Sobral Cathedral
Sobral Cathedral (Catedral de Sobral), also called the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception, is the main church of the Diocese of Sobral in Brazil.
Museu Dom José
Owned by the Diocese of Sobral in Ceará, the Museu Dom José is a sacred art museum with a collection of more than thirty thousand pieces.
Ubajara National Park
Ubajara National Park is a national park in the state of Ceará, best known for the Ubajara grotto, a cave that gives the park its reputation.
Sete Cidades National Park
Sete Cidades National Park is a national park in the state of Piauí, Brazil.
St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior
In Campo Maior, Piauí, St. Anthony Cathedral is a Catholic church on Bona Primo Square, also known as Campo Maior Cathedral.
Memorial Esperança Garcia
On Avenida Miguel Rosa in Teresina, the Memorial Esperança Garcia is a cultural space opened in July 2007 and run by the Piauí State Department of Culture.
Museu do Piauí
Created and run by the Piauí state government, the Museu do Piauí is a museum founded in 1995 by former vice governor Osmar Junior.
Once you reach Caxias
Memorial da Balaiada
Opened in 2004 in Caxias, 365 km from São Luís, Memorial da Balaiada is an educational and cultural center with a museum and a documentation center.
More drives to Caxias
From Fortaleza to other places in Brazil
- Fortaleza to Canoa Quebrada
- Fortaleza to Mossoró
- Fortaleza to Parnamirim
- Fortaleza to Fazenda Nova
- Fortaleza to Olinda
- Fortaleza to Garanhuns
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Fortaleza to Caxias?
About 9 h 40 min of driving without stops, over 411 miles.
How far is Caxias from Fortaleza by car?
About 411 miles (662 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Fortaleza to Caxias drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Fortaleza to Caxias use?
In order: CE-020, BR-222, BR-343 and BR-316. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Fortaleza to Caxias?
Closest to the road: St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior (cathedral, mile 316, 0.5 mi from the route); Memorial Esperança Garcia (museum, mile 368, 0.5 mi from the route); Museu do Piauí (history museum, mile 370, 0.4 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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 October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.