Plan on about 13 h 16 min of driving for the 534-mile (860 km) trip from Lages to Artigas, Uruguay, before any stops. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 534.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 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.”
- Uruguay: “Several of the main highways are particularly accident-ridden.”
| Distance by road | 534 mi (860 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 13 h 16 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-116 → ERS-122 → ERS-437 → ERS-448 → RSC-453 → BR-470 → RSC-287 → BR-158 → BR-290 → BR-293 |
| Border crossing | about mile 534, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Artigas |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing from Brazil into Uruguay
The route crosses at about mile 534, from Rio Grande do Sul into Artigas. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
Driving Lages to Artigas: the shape of the trip
BR-158 (131 mi) and RSC-287 (95 mi) carry about 42% of the 534 miles. The first 534 miles are in Brazil; the last 0 are in Uruguay. It runs through 3 regions: Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Artigas. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Lages to Artigas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-116 | 4–76 | 72 | Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul |
| ERS-122 | 76–103 | 27 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 103–104 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| ERS-437 | 104–111 | 7 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| ERS-448 | 111–145 | 34 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-453 | 145–153 | 8 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-470 | 153–157 | 4 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-453 | 157–217 | 60 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-287 | 217–312 | 95 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 312–317 | 5 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 317–321 | 4 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-158 | 321–392 | 71 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-290 | 392–406 | 14 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-158 | 406–466 | 60 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-293 | 466–534 | 68 | Rio Grande do Sul |
- Mile 40 of this route: Santa Catarina → Rio Grande do Sul (region line)
- Mile 534 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Artigas (international border)
Stops between Lages and Artigas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Histórico de Ipê (mile 101), Antônio Prado historic center (mile 104), Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (mile 319), Museum Vincente Pallotti (mile 321)
- Museums and history: Museu Histórico de Ipê (mile 101), Museu do Imigrante (mile 151), St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Santa Cruz do Sul (mile 231), Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum (mile 255), Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (mile 319), Museum Vincente Pallotti (mile 321)
Museu Histórico de Ipê
In the town of Ipê, Rio Grande do Sul, the Historical Museum of Ipê holds old relics and regional history, including artifacts from the native peoples who once lived in the area.
Antônio Prado historic center
Antônio Prado's historic center preserves the heritage of a town founded in 1886, mainly by Italian immigrants, that soon grew into a busy commercial hub in Rio Grande do Sul.
Museu do Imigrante
Museu do Imigrante is a public municipal history museum in Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, run by the Fundação Casa das Artes.
St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Santa Cruz do Sul
Facing Getúlio Vargas Square in central Santa Cruz do Sul, St. John the Baptist Cathedral is the city's Roman Catholic cathedral.
Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum
In the town of Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, the Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum is part of the Paleorrota Geopark and offers information about the region.
Aqueduto de Candelária
In Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, the Aqueduto de Candelária stands in the Linha Curitiba area. It was commissioned by João Kochenborger, one of the first German immigrants to reach the municipality, in 1862.
Planetário Professor José Mariano da Rocha Filho
Founded in 1971 at the Federal University of Santa Maria, this planetarium seats 120 people and has used a Digistar 4 digital projector since 2011.
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción
Seat of the Archdiocese of Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul, this eclectic cathedral mixes neo-Baroque and neoclassical styles; construction started in 1902 under parish priest Caetano Pagliuca, and it opened in 1909.
Museum Vincente Pallotti
On Avenida Presidente Vargas in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, the Vicente Pallotti Museum shares a complex with Palotina College.
More drives to Artigas
- Paysandú to Artigas
- Montevideo to Artigas
- Maldonado to Artigas
- Córdoba, Argentina to Artigas, Uruguay
- Rosario, Argentina to Artigas, Uruguay
- La Plata to Artigas, Uruguay
More drives from Lages
- Lages to Tubarão
- Lages to Santa Cruz do Sul
- Lages to Paranaguá
- Lages to Ourinhos
- Lages to Itanhaém
- Lages to Itapetininga
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Lages to Artigas, Uruguay?
About 13 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 534 miles.
How far is Artigas, Uruguay from Lages by car?
About 534 miles (860 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.
Where does the Lages to Artigas drive cross the border?
At about mile 534, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Lages into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Lages to Artigas drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Lages to Artigas use?
In order: BR-116, ERS-122, ERS-437, ERS-448, RSC-453, BR-470, RSC-287, BR-158, BR-290 and BR-293. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Lages to Artigas?
Closest to the road: Antônio Prado historic center (old town, mile 104, 0.1 mi from the route); Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (cathedral, mile 319, 0.4 mi from the route); Museum Vincente Pallotti (museum, mile 321, 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.