Fortaleza to São Luís is about 551 road miles (886 km): roughly 13 h 37 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Distance by road | 551 mi (886 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 13 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | CE-020 → BR-222 → CE-187 → CE-232 → PI-213 → BR-343 → BR-402 → MA-346 → MA-345 → MA-034 → MA-315 → MA-225 → BR-135 |
| States on the route | Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 4 |
On the road from Fortaleza to São Luís
BR-222 (188 mi) and BR-402 (124 mi) carry about 57% of the 551 miles. It runs through 3 states: Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão. None of the 4 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Which roads connect Fortaleza and São Luís
| 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 | 10–198 | 188 | Ceará |
| CE-187 | 198–216 | 18 | Ceará |
| CE-232 | 216–238 | 22 | Ceará |
| PI-213 | 238–267 | 29 | Ceará, Piauí |
| BR-343 | 267–296 | 29 | Piauí |
| BR-402 | 296–304 | 8 | Piauí |
| connecting roads | 304–305 | 1 | Piauí |
| MA-346 | 305–314 | 9 | Maranhão |
| BR-402 | 314–318 | 4 | Maranhão |
| MA-345 | 318–331 | 13 | Maranhão |
| MA-034 | 331–352 | 21 | Maranhão |
| local roads | 352–356 | 4 | Maranhão |
| MA-315 | 356–393 | 37 | Maranhão |
| MA-225 | 393–402 | 9 | Maranhão |
| BR-402 | 402–514 | 112 | Maranhão |
| BR-135 | 514–542 | 28 | Maranhão |
| local roads | 542–551 | 9 | Maranhão |
- Mile 242 of this route: Ceará → Piauí (state line)
- Mile 305 of this route: Piauí → Maranhão (state line)
Stops between Fortaleza and São Luís
- Nature and outdoors: Praia de Iparana (mile 9), Ubajara National Park (mile 180)
- Museums and history: Sobral Cathedral (mile 142), Museu Dom José (mile 142)
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.
When you get to São Luís
Church of Pantaleão
The Church of Pantaleão is an 18th-century Catholic church in São Luís, Maranhão. First consecrated as the Church of Saint John of the City, it is now the Church of São Pantaleão and Saint Joseph.
Historic Centre of São Luís
On the island of São Luís, by the Bay of São Marcos, the Historic Centre of São Luís covers about 544 acres with roughly 4,000 buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries in protected state and federal zones.
Catedral de São Luís
Seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of São Luís do Maranhão, the Catedral de São Luís stands on Plaza Pedro II in the center of São Luís.
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
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Fortaleza to São Luís?
About 13 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 551 miles.
What is the driving distance from Fortaleza to São Luís?
About 551 miles (886 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.
Is it safe to drive from Fortaleza to São Luís?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Fortaleza to São Luís?
In order: CE-020, BR-222, CE-187, CE-232, PI-213, BR-343, BR-402, MA-346, MA-345, MA-034, MA-315, MA-225 and BR-135. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Fortaleza and São Luís?
Closest to the road: Praia de Iparana (beach, mile 9, 3 mi from the route); Sobral Cathedral (cathedral, mile 142, 1 mi from the route); Museu Dom José (museum, mile 142, 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 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.