Itaguaí to Santa Leopoldina is about 379 road miles (610 km): roughly 9 h 22 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Distance | 379 mi (610 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 22 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → RJ-228 → ES-080 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Itaguaí–Santa Leopoldina drive in a few lines
BR-101 (309 mi) and RJ-228 (43 mi) carry about 93% of the 379 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Itaguaí to Santa Leopoldina
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 1–235 | 234 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-228 | 235–278 | 43 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 278–353 | 75 | Espírito Santo |
| connecting roads | 353–357 | 4 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-080 | 357–378 | 21 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 378–379 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 251 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Santa Leopoldina
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 355)
- Nature and outdoors: Pedra Branca State Park (mile 19), Tijuca National Park (mile 41), Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 286), Paulo César Vinha State Park (mile 334)
- Museums and history: Ponte do Guandu (mile 8), Museu Aeroespacial (mile 25), Presbyterian Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro (mile 45), Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 355)
- With kids: AquaRio (mile 42)
Ponte do Guandu
Also known as Ponte dos Jesuítas, Ponte do Guandu in Santa Cruz, in Rio de Janeiro's West Zone, was a bridge-dam completed in 1752 to control floodwaters and link local farms.
Pedra Branca State Park
In the state of Rio de Janeiro, Pedra Branca State Park ranks among the world's largest urban nature parks.
Museu Aeroespacial
Museu Aeroespacial is a national aviation museum in Realengo, on Rio de Janeiro's West Side, a place known as the cradle of Brazilian aviation.
Tijuca National Park
Covering mountains inside the city of Rio de Janeiro, Tijuca National Park is an urban national park within the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.
AquaRio
AquaRio, the Marine Aquarium of Rio de Janeiro, is a public aquarium in the Gamboa neighborhood of the city's port zone, with about 26,000 square meters of built area.
Presbyterian Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro's Presbyterian Cathedral is the historic congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Brazil and was the first Presbyterian church in the country.
Frade e a Freira Natural Monument
Created by state decree in 2007, the Frade e a Freira Natural Monument is a state-run protected area in Espírito Santo spanning parts of Itapemirim, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Vargem Alta.
Paulo César Vinha State Park
Along the Atlantic shore in Guarapari, Paulo César Vinha State Park protects dunes, lagoons and marshes. Its trails lead to the beach and to Lagoa de Caraís.
Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo
In Cariacica, the Espírito Santo Military Police Museum holds more than 600 objects and 900 photographs on the force's history, in a building that closely resembles the state's first barracks, Quartel do Moscoso.
Once you reach Santa Leopoldina
Museu do Colono
Opened in April 1969, the Museu do Colono is a museum in Santa Leopoldina, Espírito Santo, and is run today by the state's Department of Culture.
Historic Center of Santa Leopoldina
Squeezed between hills and the Santa Maria River, the Historic Center of Santa Leopoldina (Núcleo Histórico de Santa Leopoldina) keeps buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Espírito Santo listed it as a State Historic Site in 1983.
Igreja Sagrada Família
Igreja Sagrada Família, the mother church of Santa Leopoldina, Espírito Santo, was built in 1911 on top of a hill above the Santa Maria River valley.
More drives to Santa Leopoldina
- Guarapari to Santa Leopoldina
- Cachoeiro de Itapemirim to Santa Leopoldina
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina
- Itaperuna to Santa Leopoldina
- Muriaé to Santa Leopoldina
- Ipatinga to Santa Leopoldina
From Itaguaí to other places in Brazil
- Itaguaí to Itanhaém
- Itaguaí to Trindade
- Itaguaí to Assis
- Itaguaí to Ourinhos
- Itaguaí to Itaperuna
- Itaguaí to Muriaé
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Itaguaí to Santa Leopoldina?
About 9 h 22 min of driving without stops, over 379 miles.
How far is Santa Leopoldina from Itaguaí by car?
About 379 miles (610 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 Itaguaí to Santa Leopoldina drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Itaguaí to Santa Leopoldina?
In order: BR-101, RJ-228 and ES-080. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Itaguaí to Santa Leopoldina?
Closest to the road: Ponte do Guandu (historic bridge, mile 8, 1 mi from the route); Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (protected area, mile 286, 1 mi from the route); Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (police museum, mile 355, 0.1 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.