By road, Montevideo and Minas are about 74 miles (119 km) apart, or roughly 2 h 2 min of driving.
Full advisory: Uruguay. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Total distance | 74 mi (119 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 2 min |
| Departments on the route | Montevideo, Canelones, Lavalleja |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 3.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 3 |
How the Montevideo to Minas drive plays out
It runs through 3 departments: Montevideo, Canelones, Lavalleja. None of the 3 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Road-by-road breakdown: Montevideo to Minas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–74 | 74 | Montevideo, Canelones, Lavalleja |
- Mile 14 of this route: Montevideo → Canelones (department line)
- Mile 49 of this route: Canelones → Lavalleja (department line)
Stops between Montevideo and Minas
- Nature and outdoors: Laguna del Cisne (mile 27)
- Museums and history: Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 30)
Bañados de Carrasco
Spread between Montevideo and Canelones, the Bañados de Carrasco are a wetland system in the Carrasco Creek basin and one of the main wetlands of the Montevideo metro area.
Laguna del Cisne
Near Salinas in Canelones, Laguna del Cisne is a subtropical lagoon of about 1.8 km², fed by a watershed of some 50 km², that has supplied drinking water to the Costa de Oro area since 1970.
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.
When you get to Minas
Cathedral of Minas
Minas's main Catholic church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception served as the seat of the Diocese of Minas from 1960 to 2020.
Teatro Lavalleja
Teatro Lavalleja is a theater complex in the city of Minas, in the Lavalleja department of Uruguay.
More drives to Minas
- Tacuarembó to Minas
- Rivera to Minas
- Salto to Minas
- Artigas to Minas
- Melo to Minas
- Buenos Aires to Minas, Uruguay
From Montevideo to other places in Uruguay
- Montevideo to Veinticinco de Agosto
- Montevideo to Piriápolis
- Montevideo to Florida, Uruguay
- Montevideo to Conchillas
- Montevideo to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Montevideo to Paysandú
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Montevideo to Minas?
About 2 h 2 min of driving without stops, over 74 miles.
How far is Minas from Montevideo by car?
About 74 miles (119 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 Minas?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Montevideo and Minas?
Closest to the road: Bañados de Carrasco (swamp, mile 11, 3 mi from the route); Laguna del Cisne (lagoon, mile 27, 4 mi from the route); Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (church, mile 30, 5 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.