Plan on about 9 h 50 min of driving for the 471-mile (758 km) trip from Itajaí to Jaú, 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.”
| Total distance | 471 mi (758 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 50 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → BR-376 → BR-116 → BR-277 → PRC-373 → PR-151 → PR-239 → SP-281 → SP-255 |
| States on the route | Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Itajaí to Jaú
SP-255 (125 mi) and PR-151 (89 mi) carry about 45% of the 471 miles. It runs through 3 states: Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Itajaí to Jaú, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-101 | 4–78 | 74 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-376 | 78–121 | 43 | Santa Catarina, Paraná |
| BR-116 | 121–129 | 8 | Paraná |
| BR-277 | 129–198 | 69 | Paraná |
| BR-376 | 198–205 | 7 | Paraná |
| PRC-373 | 205–210 | 5 | Paraná |
| PR-151 | 210–299 | 89 | Paraná |
| PR-239 | 299–307 | 8 | Paraná |
| connecting roads | 307–309 | 2 | Paraná, São Paulo |
| SP-281 | 309–344 | 35 | São Paulo |
| SP-255 | 344–469 | 125 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 469–471 | 2 | São Paulo |
- Mile 79 of this route: Santa Catarina → Paraná (state line)
- Mile 308 of this route: Paraná → São Paulo (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Jaú
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Curitiba Zoo (mile 125), Vila Velha State Park (mile 188)
- Nature and outdoors: Vila Velha State Park (mile 188), Campos Gerais National Park (mile 213), Parque Estadual Vale do Códo (mile 272)
- Museums and history: Museu Casa Fritz Alt (mile 52), Museu Arqueológico de Sambaqui de Joinville (mile 53), St. Ann Cathedral, Ponta Grossa (mile 203), Museu Campos Gerais (mile 203)
- With kids: Curitiba Zoo (mile 125)
Museu Casa Fritz Alt
Artist Fritz Alt's 1940s home in Joinville opened as a museum in 1975; its setting on Morro do Boa Vista gives visitors a panoramic view of the city.
Museu Arqueológico de Sambaqui de Joinville
In Joinville, Santa Catarina, this archaeological museum explores the way of life and culture of the fisher-hunter-gatherer groups who were among the first peoples to spread across South America and settle what is now Brazil.
Curitiba Zoo
Curitiba Zoo (Jardim Zoológico de Curitiba) lies inside Parque Regional do Iguaçu, an urban park of 8 million square meters in the capital of Paraná state.
Vila Velha State Park
Also called the Old Village State Park, Vila Velha State Park covers 9,397 acres in the municipality of Ponta Grossa, Paraná.
St. Ann Cathedral, Ponta Grossa
St. Ann Cathedral is a Catholic church in the city of Ponta Grossa, in Paraná state in southern Brazil.
Museu Campos Gerais
Run by the State University of Ponta Grossa, Museu Campos Gerais works to preserve the cultural heritage of Paraná's Campos Gerais region.
Campos Gerais National Park
Created in 2006 across Ponta Grossa, Castro and Carambeí, Campos Gerais National Park protects native grasslands and Araucaria forest, with visitor sites like the Buraco do Padre sinkhole and the Mariquinha and São Jorge River waterfalls.
Parque Estadual Vale do Códo
Vale do Codó State Park lies in the municipality of Jaguariaíva, Paraná, about 230 km from Curitiba, inside the Escarpa Devoniana Environmental Protection Area.
Abadia de Santa Cruz
Founded in 1936 by German monks from Himmerod Abbey, the Abadia de Santa Cruz is a Cistercian monastery in Itaporanga, São Paulo state.
Once you reach Jaú
Catedral Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio
Jaú's Catedral Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio is the seat of the Diocese of Jaú and the church of a parish created on August 15, 1853.
More drives to Jaú
- Bragança Paulista to Jaú
- São Vicente to Jaú
- Santos to Jaú
- Mogi das Cruzes to Jaú
- Taubaté to Jaú
- Guarujá to Jaú
From Itajaí to other places in Brazil
- Itajaí to Paranaguá
- Itajaí to Guarapuava
- Itajaí to Passo Fundo
- Itajaí to São Leopoldo
- Itajaí to Itanhaém
- Itajaí to Novo Hamburgo
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Itajaí to Jaú?
About 9 h 50 min of driving without stops, over 471 miles.
How far is Jaú from Itajaí by car?
About 471 miles (758 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 Itajaí to Jaú 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 Itajaí to Jaú use?
In order: BR-101, BR-376, BR-116, BR-277, PRC-373, PR-151, PR-239, SP-281 and SP-255. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Itajaí to Jaú?
Closest to the road: Curitiba Zoo (zoo, mile 125, 0.5 mi from the route); Vila Velha State Park (state park, mile 188, 0.9 mi from the route); Abadia de Santa Cruz (monastery, mile 344, 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.