By road, Jaú and Barbacena are about 412 miles (663 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 37 min of driving.
- 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.”
| Total distance | 412 mi (663 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-225 → SP-310 → SP-330 → SP-147 → SP-191 → MG-290 → BR-381 → BR-265 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
The Jaú–Barbacena drive in a few lines
BR-381 (101 mi) and BR-265 (99 mi) carry about 49% of the 412 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Of the 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Jaú to Barbacena
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | São Paulo |
| SP-225 | 4–55 | 51 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 55–56 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-310 | 56–88 | 32 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 88–89 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-330 | 89–92 | 3 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 92–93 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-147 | 93–119 | 26 | São Paulo |
| SP-191 | 119–125 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-147 | 125–134 | 9 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 134–147 | 13 | São Paulo |
| MG-290 | 147–207 | 60 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 207–209 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 209–310 | 101 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-265 | 310–409 | 99 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 409–412 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 147 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Jaú and Barbacena
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre (mile 205)
- Museums and history: Museu de Minerais e Rochas Heinz Ebert (mile 75), Museum of Biblical Archeology Paulo Bork (mile 107), Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre (mile 205), Museu Bi Moreira (mile 318), Museu Regional de São João del-Rei (mile 375), Museu de Sant'Ana (mile 380)
Museu de Minerais e Rochas Heinz Ebert
The Heinz Ebert Museum of Minerals and Rocks is located on the Unesp campus in Rio Claro, in São Paulo state, inside the Department of Petrology and Metallogeny building.
Museum of Biblical Archeology Paulo Bork
Founded on May 14, 2000, the Museum of Biblical Archeology Paulo Bork is on the Engenheiro Coelho campus of the Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo.
Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre
Good Jesus Cathedral is the Catholic seat of the Archdiocese of Pouso Alegre, in the city of the same name in Minas Gerais.
Museu Bi Moreira
On the historic campus of the Federal University of Lavras, Museu Bi Moreira holds around five thousand historical, ethnographic, archaeological and science-and-technology artifacts tied to the history of Lavras and the university.
Historic center of São João del-Rei
São João del-Rei's historic center is the town's preserved colonial core, with churches, chapels, bridges, fountains, townhouses and street layouts dating from its 18th-century mining origins.
Museu Regional de São João del-Rei
Museu Regional de São João del-Rei is a history and art museum in the town of São João del-Rei, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Museu de Sant'Ana
Founded in 2014 by the Instituto Cultural Flávio Gutierrez, this Tiradentes art museum specializes in images of Saint Anne, with a collection of 291 statues.
When you get to Barbacena
Museu da Loucura
Housed in the restored 1922 Torreão of the former Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, the Museu da Loucura opened in 1996 and uses objects, equipment, photos and documents to tell the history of psychiatric care in Minas Gerais.
More drives to Barbacena
- Rio de Janeiro to Barbacena
- Niterói to Barbacena
- Pouso Alegre to Barbacena
- Araruama to Barbacena
- Cabo Frio to Barbacena
- Poços de Caldas to Barbacena
From Jaú to other places in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Jaú to Barbacena?
About 9 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 412 miles.
How far is Barbacena from Jaú by car?
About 412 miles (663 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 Jaú to Barbacena 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 Jaú to Barbacena use?
In order: SP-225, SP-310, SP-330, SP-147, SP-191, MG-290, BR-381 and BR-265. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Jaú to Barbacena?
Closest to the road: Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre (cathedral, mile 205, 0.5 mi from the route); Museu Regional de São João del-Rei (history museum, mile 375, 1 mi from the route); Historic center of São João del-Rei (old town, mile 375, 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.