By road, Jaú and Itabira are about 479 miles (771 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 28 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.”
| Distance | 479 mi (771 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 28 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-255 → SP-330 → SP-334 → SP-351 → MG-050 → BR-262 → BR-381 → BR-040 → MG-434 → MG-129 → AMG-1210 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Jaú to Itabira drive plays out
MG-050 (216 mi) and SP-255 (93 mi) carry about 65% of the 479 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Jaú to Itabira, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-255 | 2–95 | 93 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 95–96 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-330 | 96–102 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-334 | 102–120 | 18 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 120–121 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-351 | 121–152 | 31 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 152–166 | 14 | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 166–168 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-050 | 168–384 | 216 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 384–385 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-262 | 385–399 | 14 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 399–407 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 407–409 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 409–417 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 417–419 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 419–455 | 36 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 455–456 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-434 | 456–468 | 12 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-129 | 468–471 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| AMG-1210 | 471–477 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 477–479 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 154 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
Places worth a stop between Jaú and Itabira
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Casa de Portinari (mile 114), Museu Municipal Francisco Manoel Franco (mile 367)
- Nature and outdoors: Cachoeira da Capivara (mile 226)
- Museums and history: Casa da Cultura Luís Antonio Martinez Corrêa (mile 44), Museu Casa de Portinari (mile 114), Holy Spirit Cathedral, Divinópolis (mile 344), Museu Municipal Francisco Manoel Franco (mile 367), Francisco Firmo de Mattos Filho Cultural Center (mile 403), Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha (mile 414)
Casa da Cultura Luís Antonio Martinez Corrêa
A small theater, rooms for cultural workshops and historical collections from documents to artworks fill Araraquara's Casa da Cultura.
Museu Casa de Portinari
In Brodowski, Candido Portinari's childhood home is now the Museu Casa de Portinari, where the painter often returned to stay with family. Inside are several of his works, mostly murals painted in fresco and tempera.
Cachoeira da Capivara
In Capitólio, the Ribeirão da Capivara spills over this waterfall on its way into Furnas Lake. A trail of about 900 meters leads to the falls, which drop into a pool roughly 16 meters deep.
Holy Spirit Cathedral, Divinópolis
The Holy Spirit Cathedral in Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, is the Roman Catholic church that serves as seat of the Diocese of Divinópolis.
Museu Municipal Francisco Manoel Franco
In Itaúna, Minas Gerais, this municipal museum occupies the old railway station, which served trains from its opening in 1917 until passenger service through the town ended in 1986.
Vale Verde
Vale Verde Parque Ecológico sits in the municipality of Betim, Minas Gerais, on a farm with a still where Cachaça Vale Verde is produced.
Francisco Firmo de Mattos Filho Cultural Center
The Centro Cultural Francisco Firmo de Mattos Filho is a public museum set in three historic buildings in Contagem, remnants of the town's original Portuguese Crown tax post.
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.
Cine Theatro Brasil
Built in 1932 on Praça Sete de Setembro in Belo Horizonte as a cinema and theater, Cine Theatro Brasil is an 11-story building whose curved facade marks the corner of Avenida Amazonas and Rua Carijós.
When you get to Itabira
Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, Itabira
Known locally as Itabira Cathedral, Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the municipality of Itabira, Minas Gerais.
More drives to Itabira
- Sete Lagoas to Itabira
- Conselheiro Lafaiete to Itabira
- Barbacena to Itabira
- Juiz de Fora to Itabira
- Araxá to Itabira
- Petrópolis to Itabira
From Jaú to other places in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Jaú to Itabira?
About 10 h 28 min of driving without stops, over 479 miles.
How far is Itabira from Jaú by car?
About 479 miles (771 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 Jaú to Itabira?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Jaú to Itabira?
In order: SP-255, SP-330, SP-334, SP-351, MG-050, BR-262, BR-381, BR-040, MG-434, MG-129 and AMG-1210. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Jaú and Itabira?
Closest to the road: Museu Casa de Portinari (museum, mile 114, 0.3 mi from the route); Cachoeira da Capivara (waterfall, mile 226, 1 mi from the route); Museu Municipal Francisco Manoel Franco (museum, mile 367, 0.4 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.