By road, Juiz de Fora and Macaé are about 213 miles (342 km) apart, or roughly 5 h 8 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance by road | 213 mi (342 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 5 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | MG-353 → BR-040 → BR-116 → BR-493 → BR-101 → RJ-168 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 8.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
How the Juiz de Fora to Macaé drive plays out
BR-040 (85 mi) and BR-101 (79 mi) carry about 77% of the 213 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro. None of the 7 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Roads you'll take from Juiz de Fora to Macaé
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MG-353 | 0–5 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 5–6 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 6–91 | 85 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 91–92 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 92–105 | 13 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 105–122 | 17 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 122–201 | 79 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-168 | 201–210 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 210–213 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 24 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
What to see on the way from Juiz de Fora to Macaé
- Nature and outdoors: Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 58), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 64), Taquara Municipal Nature Park (mile 96), Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 135)
- Museums and history: Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 58), Santos Dumont House Museum (mile 73), Casa Stefan Zweig (mile 75), Valongo Wharf (mile 93)
Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument
The Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument is a municipal natural monument, a protected area in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Serra dos Órgãos National Park protects the Serra dos Órgãos range between Petrópolis and Teresópolis, where a roughly 28 km traverse climbs past the Castelos do Açu to Pedra do Sino at 2,263 meters.
Santos Dumont House Museum
Known as A Encantada, the Santos Dumont House Museum in Petrópolis is the house built in 1918 for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont on a steep hillside near the city center.
Casa Stefan Zweig
Founded in 2006, Casa Stefan Zweig is a writer's house museum in Petrópolis, set in the home where Stefan Zweig lived with his wife.
Valongo Wharf
Built in 1811 in Rio's old port, the Valongo Wharf was where up to 900,000 enslaved Africans landed. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, its excavated stone paving is left open to view.
Taquara Municipal Nature Park
Taquara Municipal Nature Park is a municipal nature park in Rio de Janeiro state that protects an area of Atlantic Forest.
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park is a protected area in Rio de Janeiro state, set aside by the municipality to safeguard a stretch of Atlantic Forest.
Once you reach Macaé
Forte Marechal Hermes
Forte Marechal Hermes stands just south of the Macaé River mouth in Macaé, on the point of land between Imbetiba and Conchas beaches, facing the Sant'Anna archipelago.
Palácio dos Urubus
Palácio dos Urubus is a historic building on Rua Doutor Télio Barreto in the center of Macaé, in Rio de Janeiro state.
More drives to Macaé
- Taubaté to Macaé
- São José dos Campos to Macaé
- Mogi das Cruzes to Macaé
- São Paulo to Macaé
- Jundiaí to Macaé
- Campinas to Macaé
From Juiz de Fora to other places in Brazil
- Juiz de Fora to Niterói
- Juiz de Fora to Nova Friburgo
- Juiz de Fora to Araruama
- Juiz de Fora to Cabo Frio
- Juiz de Fora to Rio das Ostras
- Juiz de Fora to Bragança Paulista
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Juiz de Fora to Macaé?
About 5 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 213 miles.
How far is Macaé from Juiz de Fora by car?
About 213 miles (342 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 Juiz de Fora to Macaé?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Juiz de Fora to Macaé?
In order: MG-353, BR-040, BR-116, BR-493, BR-101 and RJ-168. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Juiz de Fora and Macaé?
Closest to the road: Casa Stefan Zweig (museum, mile 75, 3 mi from the route); Taquara Municipal Nature Park (protected area, mile 96, 2 mi from the route); Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (protected area, mile 135, 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.