Plan on about 10 h 9 min of driving for the 480-mile (773 km) trip from Minas to Magdalena, Argentina, before any stops. You cross from Uruguay into Argentina at about mile 251, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
Full advisory: Uruguay, Argentina. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; Argentina July 10, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Uruguay: “If you are in an accident involving injury, stay in place until a police officer arrives.”
- Argentina: “Drivers in Argentina tend to be aggressive, especially in Buenos Aires, and often ignore traffic regulations.”
| Total distance | 480 mi (773 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 9 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN136 → RN14 → RN12 → RP6 → RN9 → AV1-N → RN1 → RP11 |
| Border crossing | about mile 251, Uruguay → Argentina (the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge) |
| Regions on the route | Lavalleja, Canelones, San José, Colonia, Soriano, Río Negro, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Getting across the Uruguay–Argentina border
The route crosses at about mile 251, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge, from Río Negro into Entre Ríos. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Argentina (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Argentina | A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. |
| 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. |
| The car, entering Argentina | Argentine customs (ARCA) registers the car's temporary entry. Bring the title or registration, liability insurance valid in Argentina and, if you don't own the car, a power of attorney signed before a notary. A rental car needs the rental company's MERCOSUR circulation authorization (ACM), and the company must be registered with Argentine customs. |
| 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, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026); U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); ARCA (Argentine customs). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
On the road from Minas to Magdalena
RN12 (47 mi) and RN9 (40 mi) carry about 18% of the 480 miles. The first 251 miles are in Uruguay; the last 229 are in Argentina. It runs through 9 regions: Lavalleja, Canelones, San José, Colonia, Soriano, Río Negro, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Minas to Magdalena: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–78 | 78 | Lavalleja, Canelones |
| connecting roads | 78–81 | 3 | Canelones |
| local roads | 81–112 | 31 | Canelones, San José |
| connecting roads | 112–116 | 4 | San José |
| local roads | 116–249 | 133 | San José, Colonia, Soriano, Río Negro |
| connecting roads | 249–252 | 3 | Río Negro, Entre Ríos |
| RN136 | 252–271 | 19 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 271–278 | 7 | Entre Ríos |
| RN14 | 278–314 | 36 | Entre Ríos |
| RN12 | 314–361 | 47 | Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires |
| RP6 | 361–366 | 5 | Buenos Aires |
| RN9 | 366–406 | 40 | Buenos Aires |
| connecting roads | 406–408 | 2 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| AV1-N | 408–414 | 6 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| connecting roads | 414–418 | 4 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| RN1 | 418–448 | 30 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires |
| connecting roads | 448–449 | 1 | Buenos Aires |
| RP11 | 449–479 | 30 | Buenos Aires |
| local roads | 479–480 | 1 | Buenos Aires |
- Mile 25 of this route: Lavalleja → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 91 of this route: Canelones → San José (region line)
- Mile 135 of this route: San José → Colonia (region line)
- Mile 152 of this route: Colonia → Soriano (region line)
- Mile 234 of this route: Soriano → Río Negro (region line)
- Mile 251 of this route: Río Negro → Entre Ríos (international border)
- Mile 344 of this route: Entre Ríos → Buenos Aires (region line)
- Mile 406 of this route: Buenos Aires → Ciudad de Buenos Aires (region line)
- Mile 423 of this route: Ciudad de Buenos Aires → Buenos Aires (region line)
Places worth a stop between Minas and Magdalena
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 80), Teatro Macció (mile 114), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 232), Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco (mile 414), Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano (mile 416)
- Nature and outdoors: Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Argentine Museum (mile 412)
- Museums and history: Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 44), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 80), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 232), Gualeguaychú Cathedral (mile 272), Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Argentine Museum (mile 412), Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco (mile 414), Cathedral of La Plata (mile 450)
- With kids: Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Argentine Museum (mile 412)
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Engineer Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker in Estación Atlántida, inaugurated in 1960, joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2021. Look for its wavy brick walls and roof, an openwork brick bell tower and an underground baptistery.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Construction of Canelones' Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe began in 1816; the church became a cathedral in 1961 and Uruguay's national shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2020.
Teatro Macció
San José de Mayo's Teatro Bartolomé Macció is a traditional theater, regarded as the city's most important building architecturally and declared a Historic Monument of Uruguay in 1984.
Cathedral of Mercedes
Mercedes, Uruguay, centers its Catholic life on the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy, which became the seat of the local diocese in 1960.
Gualeguaychú Cathedral
In Gualeguaychú, Argentina, the Roman Catholic diocese has its cathedral church at St. Joseph's, also known as Gualeguaychú Cathedral.
Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Argentine Museum
Located in the Caballito neighborhood of Buenos Aires, the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Argentine Museum is a public museum devoted to the natural sciences.
Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco
The Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco is an art museum in the Retiro area of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano
Facing the Casa Rosada on Plaza de Mayo, the equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano is a Buenos Aires landmark.
Cathedral of La Plata
Facing Plaza Moreno and City Hall at the geographic center of La Plata, this neo-Gothic cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.
More drives to Magdalena
- Necochea to Magdalena
- Adrogué to Magdalena
- Tigre to Magdalena
- Buenos Aires to Magdalena
- Luján to Magdalena
- San Antonio de Areco to Magdalena
More drives from Minas
- Minas to Veinticinco de Agosto
- Minas to Nueva Helvecia
- Minas to Colonia del Sacramento
- Minas to Conchillas
- Minas to Carmelo
- Minas to Bella Unión
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Minas to Magdalena, Argentina?
About 10 h 9 min of driving without stops, over 480 miles.
What is the driving distance from Minas to Magdalena, Argentina?
About 480 miles (773 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 Minas to Magdalena drive cross the border?
At about mile 251, from Uruguay into Argentina, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Minas into Argentina?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. (U.S. State Department, updated July 16, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Minas to Magdalena drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Minas to Magdalena use?
In order: RN136, RN14, RN12, RP6, RN9, AV1-N, RN1 and RP11. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Minas and Magdalena?
Closest to the road: Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 80, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco (art museum, mile 414, 0.1 mi from the route); Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano (sculpture, mile 416, 0.6 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.