By road, Gualeguaychú and Chuy, Uruguay are about 406 miles (654 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 3 min of driving. You cross from Argentina into Uruguay at about mile 23, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
Full advisory: Argentina, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Argentina: “Gas stations are often far apart and not always easily identified from the main roadway.”
- Uruguay: “If you are in an accident involving injury, stay in place until a police officer arrives.”
| Total distance | 406 mi (654 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 3 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN136 → I-B |
| Border crossing | about mile 23, Argentina → Uruguay (the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge) |
| Regions on the route | Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing from Argentina into Uruguay
The route crosses at about mile 23, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge, from Entre Ríos into Río Negro. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Argentina (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
| Driving in Argentina | A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
How the Gualeguaychú to Chuy drive plays out
RN136 (20 mi) and I-B (6 mi) carry about 6% of the 406 miles. The first 23 miles are in Argentina; the last 383 are in Uruguay. It runs through 8 regions: Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Gualeguaychú to Chuy
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Entre Ríos |
| RN136 | 1–21 | 20 | Entre Ríos |
| connecting roads | 21–23 | 2 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 23–120 | 97 | Río Negro, Soriano |
| connecting roads | 120–121 | 1 | Soriano |
| local roads | 121–157 | 36 | Colonia, San José |
| connecting roads | 157–160 | 3 | San José |
| local roads | 160–256 | 96 | San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 256–262 | 6 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 262–406 | 144 | Maldonado, Rocha |
- Mile 23 of this route: Entre Ríos → Río Negro (international border)
- Mile 39 of this route: Río Negro → Soriano (region line)
- Mile 121 of this route: Soriano → Colonia (region line)
- Mile 138 of this route: Colonia → San José (region line)
- Mile 181 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 251 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (region line)
- Mile 308 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Gualeguaychú and Chuy
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Teatro Macció (mile 158), Teatro Politeama (mile 192), Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (mile 324), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 385)
- Nature and outdoors: Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 262), Laguna José Ignacio (mile 296), La Sirena Beach (mile 365), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 385)
- Museums and history: Calera Real del Dacá (mile 40)
Calera Real del Dacá
On the eastern edge of Mercedes beside the Dacá stream, the ruins of the Calera Real lime works date to 1722 and are considered the region's first industrial site; recent works added visitor circuits, lighting and interpretive signs.
Teatro Macció
San José de Mayo's Teatro Bartolomé Macció is a traditional theater, regarded as the city's most important building architecturally and declared a Historic Monument of Uruguay in 1984.
Teatro Politeama
Canelones' Teatro Politeama opened in 1921 and reopened in 2014 as the Complejo Cultural Politeama Teatro Atahualpa del Cioppo. Uruguay declared the theater a National Historic Monument in 2022.
Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station
Near Piriápolis in Maldonado, this breeding station for native wildlife on Cerro Pan de Azúcar is surrounded by native vegetation and offers guided visits, including a native wildlife trail and a path up the hill.
Laguna José Ignacio
In Uruguay's Maldonado Department, Laguna José Ignacio is a coastal lagoon kept apart from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandbank.
Observatorio Astronómico del CURE
Run by the University of the Republic's eastern campus (CURE), this small observatory in Rocha opened in 2016 and uses a 30 cm reflector telescope under a motorized dome for teaching, research and public outreach.
La Sirena Beach
About 2.5 km north of Aguas Dulces, La Sirena is one of Uruguay's two official naturist beaches, backed by vegetated dunes, small marshes, lagoons and pine and acacia woods where coastal birds are common.
Santa Teresa National Park
Santa Teresa National Park on Rocha's coast was created to frame the colonial Santa Teresa Fortress; its grounds hold more than two million planted trees from five continents, a greenhouse and native wetland and woodland wildlife.
Parque Nacional Laguna Negra
In Rocha department, Laguna Negra National Park protects the waters of Laguna Negra, the Potrerillo de Santa Teresa biological station and part of Santa Teresa National Park north of Route 9.
More drives to Chuy
- Minas to Chuy
- Montevideo to Chuy
- Durazno to Chuy
- Colonia del Sacramento to Chuy
- Carmelo to Chuy
- Mercedes, Uruguay to Chuy
More drives from Gualeguaychú
- Gualeguaychú to Adrogué
- Gualeguaychú to Berisso
- Gualeguaychú to Magdalena
- Gualeguaychú to Chascomús
- Gualeguaychú to Cariló
- Gualeguaychú to Villa Gesell
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Gualeguaychú to Chuy, Uruguay?
About 9 h 3 min of driving without stops, over 406 miles.
How far is Chuy, Uruguay from Gualeguaychú by car?
About 406 miles (654 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 Gualeguaychú to Chuy drive cross the border?
At about mile 23, from Argentina into Uruguay, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Gualeguaychú into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Gualeguaychú to Chuy drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Gualeguaychú to Chuy?
In order: RN136 and I-B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Gualeguaychú to Chuy?
Closest to the road: Teatro Politeama (theater, mile 192, 0.2 mi from the route); Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (astronomical observatory, mile 324, 0.3 mi from the route); Santa Teresa National Park (national park, mile 385, 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 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.