Plan on about 11 h 27 min of driving for the 556-mile (895 km) trip from Joinville to Franca, 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Distance by road | 556 mi (895 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 27 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → BR-376 → BR-116 → SP-021 → SP-348 → SPA-102/330 → SP-330 → SP-334 |
| States on the route | Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Joinville–Franca drive in a few lines
BR-116 (236 mi) and SP-330 (134 mi) carry about 67% of the 556 miles. It runs through 3 states: Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Joinville and Franca
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-101 | 4–28 | 24 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-376 | 28–70 | 42 | Santa Catarina, Paraná |
| BR-116 | 70–306 | 236 | Paraná, São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 306–308 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 308–323 | 15 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 323–324 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-348 | 324–368 | 44 | São Paulo |
| SPA-102/330 | 368–372 | 4 | São Paulo |
| SP-330 | 372–506 | 134 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 506–507 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-334 | 507–554 | 47 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 554–556 | 2 | São Paulo |
- Mile 29 of this route: Santa Catarina → Paraná (state line)
- Mile 134 of this route: Paraná → São Paulo (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Franca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio (mile 414), Vassununga State Park (mile 462), Museu Casa de Portinari (mile 518)
- Nature and outdoors: Guaricana National Park (mile 39), Graciosa State Park (mile 97), Rio Turvo State Park (mile 161), Campina do Encantado State Park (mile 198), Vassununga State Park (mile 462)
- Museums and history: Basilica Minor Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima (Embu das Artes) (mile 305), Aldeia de Carapicuíba (mile 313), Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio (mile 414), Museu Casa de Portinari (mile 518)
Guaricana National Park
Created in 2014, Guaricana National Park protects about 49,300 hectares of the Serra do Mar in Paraná, across Guaratuba, Morretes and São José dos Pinhais, within the largest continuous stretch of dense Atlantic Forest in Brazil.
Graciosa State Park
Created by state decree in 1990 near Morretes, Paraná, Graciosa State Park protects dense Atlantic Forest, with a mandate to preserve the area's water regime, plants and wildlife.
Rio Turvo State Park
Spanning about 73,900 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Cajati, Barra do Turvo and Jacupiranga, Rio Turvo State Park has trails, the Cachoeira do Azeite waterfall, Morro do Guaraú and the Gruta da Capelinha cave.
Campina do Encantado State Park
Described as a unique ecosystem of great scientific value, Campina do Encantado State Park in Pariquera-Açu, São Paulo, safeguards a peat bog along with a patch of wetland forest.
Basilica Minor Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima (Embu das Artes)
On the line between Cotia and Embu das Artes in São Paulo state, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima is a Catholic church served by the Heralds of the Gospel.
Aldeia de Carapicuíba
Aldeia de Carapicuíba is a historic center in the municipality of Carapicuíba, part of the São Paulo metropolitan area, and also the seat of one of its districts.
Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio
Araras' Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio is a Catholic parish church that Pope Benedict XVI elevated to the rank of minor basilica in 2010; it belongs to the Diocese of Limeira.
Vassununga State Park
Vassununga State Park, beside the Anhanguera highway in Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, protects Atlantic Forest and cerrado and shelters the Patriarca, a jequitibá-rosa about 42 meters tall estimated at roughly 600 years old.
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.
Arriving in Franca
Jardim Zoobotânico de Franca
In the city of Franca, the Jardim Zoobotânico de Franca is a public zoo and botanical garden that preserves plants and native forest. It began as a 1950s tree nursery and became a zoobotanical garden in the 1990s.
José Chiachiri Municipal Historical Museum
Franca's municipal history museum opened to the public in 1959 and bears the name of its first director, journalist José Chiachiri. Its eclectic collection, donated piece by piece by local residents, ranges from antique furniture to parts of the city's old animal-drawn tram.
Pinacoteca Municipal Miguel Ângelo Pucci
Founded on December 15, 1970, the Pinacoteca Municipal "Miguel Ângelo Pucci" is a public art museum in Franca, run by the city's Sports, Art and Culture Foundation.
More drives to Franca
- Bauru to Franca
- Campinas to Franca
- São Paulo to Franca
- Santos to Franca
- Mogi das Cruzes to Franca
- São José dos Campos to Franca
From Joinville to other places in Brazil
- Joinville to Paranaguá
- Joinville to Ponta Grossa
- Joinville to Guarapuava
- Joinville to Itanhaém
- Joinville to Chapecó
- Joinville to Ourinhos
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Joinville to Franca?
About 11 h 27 min of driving without stops, over 556 miles.
How far is Franca from Joinville by car?
About 556 miles (895 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 Joinville to Franca drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Joinville to Franca?
In order: BR-101, BR-376, BR-116, SP-021, SP-348, SPA-102/330, SP-330 and SP-334. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Joinville to Franca?
Closest to the road: Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio (basilica, mile 414, 0.7 mi from the route); Vassununga State Park (state park, mile 462, 0.3 mi from the route); Museu Casa de Portinari (museum, mile 518, 0.2 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.