The Wayro route from Juiz de Fora to São José do Rio Preto is 537 miles (865 km), about 11 h 17 min of driving without 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance | 537 mi (865 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 11 h 17 min |
| Main roads, in order | MG-353 → Ramal de Jacutinga → BR-494 → RJ-143 → RJ-159 → BR-116 → SP-065 → SP-330 → SP-310 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Juiz de Fora to São José do Rio Preto drive plays out
SP-310 (176 mi) and BR-116 (131 mi) carry about 57% of the 537 miles. It runs through 3 states: Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Juiz de Fora to São José do Rio Preto, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MG-353 | 0–51 | 51 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 51–52 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| Ramal de Jacutinga | 52–73 | 21 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-494 | 73–91 | 18 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-143 | 91–104 | 13 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 104–106 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-159 | 106–109 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 109–240 | 131 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SP-065 | 240–328 | 88 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 328–329 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-330 | 329–359 | 30 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 359–360 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-310 | 360–536 | 176 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 536–537 | 1 | São Paulo |
- Mile 46 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
- Mile 136 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Juiz de Fora and São José do Rio Preto
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga (mile 64), Itatiaia National Park (mile 127), Parque Ecológico de São Carlos (mile 411)
- Nature and outdoors: Itatiaia National Park (mile 127), Monumento Natural Estadual da Pedra Grande (mile 280)
- Museums and history: Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga (mile 64), Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro (mile 228), Monumento Natural Estadual da Pedra Grande (mile 280), Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Campinas-José Pancetti (mile 318), Mata de Santa Genebra (mile 326), Casa da Cultura Luís Antonio Martinez Corrêa (mile 434)
- With kids: Parque Ecológico de São Carlos (mile 411)
Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga
Listed as a tourist attraction, Santa Clara Farm (Fazenda Santa Clara) lies in the municipality of Santa Rita de Jacutinga in Minas Gerais.
Itatiaia National Park
Brazil's national park system started here: Itatiaia National Park (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia) was created in 1937 as the country's first. The protected area lies on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states.
Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Aircraft such as the Bandeirante and Tucano share space with the VLS-1 rocket, engines, simulators and satellite parts at this memorial to Brazil's aerospace history in São José dos Campos.
Monumento Natural Estadual da Pedra Grande
Pedra Grande, a protected state natural monument, tops the Serra do Itapetinga at about 1,400 meters. It's Atibaia's highest point and a launch site for hang gliders and paragliders.
Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Campinas-José Pancetti
Campinas's Museum of Contemporary Art (MACC), founded in 1965, sits on Avenida Benjamin Constant downtown, beside the city hall and municipal library. Its collection focuses on postwar Brazilian art, with paintings, sculpture, works on paper and installations.
Mata de Santa Genebra
Mata de Santa Genebra is a forest in Campinas protected as an Area of Relevant Ecological Interest. The José Pedro de Oliveira Foundation has hosted guided trail walks there with wildlife researchers from Unicamp.
Parque Ecológico de São Carlos
Officially named Parque Ecológico Dr. Antônio Teixeira Vianna, this ecological park belongs to the city of São Carlos and sits right next to the Federal University of São Carlos.
Astronomical Observatory Dietrich Schiel
On USP's Campus 1 in São Carlos, the Dietrich Schiel Observatory opened in April 1986, coinciding with the passage of Halley's Comet, and belongs to the university's science outreach center.
Casa da Cultura Luís Antonio Martinez Corrêa
Araraquara's Casa da Cultura occupies a 1914 mansion protected by São Paulo's heritage council, CONDEPHAAT. It holds historical collections ranging from documents to artworks, plus a small theater and rooms for cultural workshops.
More drives to São José do Rio Preto
- Sorocaba to São José do Rio Preto
- São José dos Campos to São José do Rio Preto
- Belo Horizonte to São José do Rio Preto
- Rio de Janeiro to São José do Rio Preto
- Niterói to São José do Rio Preto
- Londrina to São José do Rio Preto
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 Macaé
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Juiz de Fora to São José do Rio Preto?
About 11 h 17 min of driving without stops, over 537 miles.
What is the driving distance from Juiz de Fora to São José do Rio Preto?
About 537 miles (865 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 Juiz de Fora to São José do Rio Preto drive?
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 São José do Rio Preto?
In order: MG-353, Ramal de Jacutinga, BR-494, RJ-143, RJ-159, BR-116, SP-065, SP-330 and SP-310. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Juiz de Fora and São José do Rio Preto?
Closest to the road: Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga (historic site, mile 64, 0.3 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 127, 0.4 mi from the route); Parque Ecológico de São Carlos (zoo, mile 411, 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.