Plan on about 13 h 9 min of driving for the 516-mile (830 km) trip from Itabira to Formosa, Brazil, before any stops.
- 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 | 516 mi (830 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 13 h 9 min |
| Main roads, in order | AMG-1210 → MG-434 → BR-381 → LMG-806 → BR-040 → MG-188 → BR-251 → BR-189 → BR-479 → GO-346 → BR-020 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Goiás |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 4 |
What the drive from Itabira to Formosa is like
BR-040 (290 mi) and MG-188 (68 mi) carry about 69% of the 516 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Goiás. Of the 4 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Itabira to Formosa, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| AMG-1210 | 1–11 | 10 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-434 | 11–22 | 11 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 22–23 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 23–60 | 37 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 60–61 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 61–65 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| LMG-806 | 65–75 | 10 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 75–78 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 78–368 | 290 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-188 | 368–414 | 46 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-251 | 414–431 | 17 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-189 | 431–447 | 16 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-188 | 447–469 | 22 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-479 | 469–479 | 10 | Minas Gerais, Goiás |
| GO-346 | 479–503 | 24 | Goiás |
| BR-020 | 503–513 | 10 | Goiás |
| local roads | 513–516 | 3 | Goiás |
- Mile 471 of this route: Minas Gerais → Goiás (state line)
Places worth a stop between Itabira and Formosa
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden (mile 65)
- Nature and outdoors: Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (mile 60), Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden (mile 65)
- Museums and history: Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (mile 60), Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha (mile 62), Igreja Matriz de Paracatu (mile 368)
Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
The Federal University of Minas Gerais runs this natural history museum and botanical garden in Belo Horizonte, with an auditorium, a plant nursery, a lagoon, an ecological amphitheater and a sensory garden.
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer in an organic modern style, the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi is a chapel in the Pampulha area of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden
Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden opened to the public in 2001 to conserve and display plant collections, and it is part of the city's Fundação Zoo-Botânica.
Igreja Matriz de Paracatu
Paracatu's Igreja Matriz stands out among 18th-century churches of Minas Gerais: it has no towers, the only mother church in the state built that way.
In Formosa itself
Lagoa Feia
About five kilometers from the center of Formosa, Lagoa Feia is a natural lake that gives rise to the Preto River, part of the São Francisco River basin.
More drives to Formosa
- Luziânia to Formosa, Brazil
- Anápolis to Formosa, Brazil
- Rio Verde to Formosa, Brazil
- Belo Horizonte to Formosa, Brazil
From Itabira to other places in Brazil
- Itabira to Passos
- Itabira to Barra do Piraí
- Itabira to Fumaça
- Itabira to Historic Village of Mambucaba
- Itabira to Trindade
- Itabira to Paranapiacaba
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Itabira to Formosa, Brazil?
About 13 h 9 min of driving without stops, over 516 miles.
What is the driving distance from Itabira to Formosa, Brazil?
About 516 miles (830 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 Itabira to Formosa, Brazil?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Itabira to Formosa?
In order: AMG-1210, MG-434, BR-381, LMG-806, BR-040, MG-188, BR-251, BR-189, BR-479, GO-346 and BR-020. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Itabira to Formosa?
Closest to the road: Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (natural history museum, mile 60, 2 mi from the route); Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden (botanical garden, mile 65, 0.1 mi from the route); Igreja Matriz de Paracatu (cathedral, mile 368, 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.