Montevideo to Mercedes, Uruguay is about 175 road miles (282 km): roughly 3 h 57 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
Full advisory: Uruguay. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 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.”
| Distance by road | 175 mi (282 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 3 h 57 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN HB |
| Departments on the route | Montevideo, San José, Colonia, Soriano |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 3 |
What the drive from Montevideo to Mercedes is like
RN HB (3 mi) carries about 2% of the 175 miles. It runs through 4 departments: Montevideo, San José, Colonia, Soriano. Of the 3 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Montevideo to Mercedes: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Montevideo |
| RN HB | 3–6 | 3 | Montevideo |
| local roads | 6–95 | 89 | Montevideo, San José, Colonia |
| connecting roads | 95–96 | 1 | Colonia |
| local roads | 96–175 | 79 | Soriano |
- Mile 15 of this route: Montevideo → San José (department line)
- Mile 78 of this route: San José → Colonia (department line)
- Mile 96 of this route: Colonia → Soriano (department line)
What to see on the way from Montevideo to Mercedes
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Lecocq (mile 14), Teatro Macció (mile 58), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 58)
- Museums and history: Museo Departamental de San José (mile 58)
- With kids: Parque Lecocq (mile 14)
Parque Lecocq
Next to Santiago Vázquez, northwest of Montevideo, Parque Lecocq is a zoo with mammals and birds, breeding programs, and grounds bordering the Santa Lucía wetlands.
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.
Museo Departamental de San José
Set in central San José de Mayo, the Museo Departamental de San José is a history and fine arts museum that also runs a library, archives and cultural programs.
When you get to Mercedes
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.
Calera Real del Dacá
On the eastern edge of Mercedes beside the Dacá stream, the ruins of the Calera Real lime works date to 1722 and are considered the region's first industrial site; recent works added visitor circuits, lighting and interpretive signs.
Alejandro Berro Paleontology Museum
In a 19th-century building in Mercedes' Parque Castillo Mauá, this paleontology museum opened in 1946 around the collection of naturalist Alejandro Berro; a well-preserved glyptodon shell found on a nearby riverbank is a highlight.
More drives to Mercedes
- Salto to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Rivera to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Artigas to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Melo to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Buenos Aires to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Córdoba, Argentina to Mercedes, Uruguay
From Montevideo to other places in Uruguay
- Montevideo to Veinticinco de Agosto
- Montevideo to Piriápolis
- Montevideo to Florida, Uruguay
- Montevideo to Minas
- Montevideo to Conchillas
- Montevideo to Paysandú
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Montevideo to Mercedes, Uruguay?
About 3 h 57 min of driving without stops, over 175 miles.
How far is Mercedes, Uruguay from Montevideo by car?
About 175 miles (282 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 Montevideo to Mercedes, Uruguay?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Where can you stop on the way from Montevideo to Mercedes?
Closest to the road: Parque Lecocq (zoo, mile 14, 0.9 mi from the route); Teatro Macció (theater, mile 58, 1 mi from the route); Museo Departamental de San José (history museum, mile 58, 0.9 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.