By road, Mossoró and Caxias are about 554 miles (892 km) apart, or roughly 12 h 58 min of driving.
- 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Distance | 554 mi (892 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 12 h 58 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-304 → CE-040 → BR-020 → BR-222 → BR-343 → BR-316 |
| States on the route | Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Mossoró–Caxias drive in a few lines
BR-222 (255 mi) and BR-343 (98 mi) carry about 64% of the 554 miles. It runs through 4 states: Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Mossoró to Caxias
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| BR-304 | 2–58 | 56 | Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará |
| CE-040 | 58–135 | 77 | Ceará |
| connecting roads | 135–136 | 1 | Ceará |
| BR-020 | 136–153 | 17 | Ceará |
| BR-222 | 153–408 | 255 | Ceará, Piauí |
| BR-343 | 408–506 | 98 | Piauí |
| local roads | 506–518 | 12 | Piauí, Maranhão |
| BR-316 | 518–552 | 34 | Maranhão |
| local roads | 552–554 | 2 | Maranhão |
- Mile 23 of this route: Rio Grande do Norte → Ceará (state line)
- Mile 364 of this route: Ceará → Piauí (state line)
- Mile 514 of this route: Piauí → Maranhão (state line)
Stops between Mossoró and Caxias
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior (mile 458), Memorial Esperança Garcia (mile 510), Museu do Piauí (mile 512)
- Nature and outdoors: Furna Feia National Park (mile 16), Praia das Fontes (mile 95), Lagoon of Messejana (mile 140), Ubajara National Park (mile 322), Sete Cidades National Park (mile 395)
- Museums and history: Museu do Eclipse (mile 286), St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior (mile 458), Memorial Esperança Garcia (mile 510), Museu do Piauí (mile 512)
Furna Feia National Park
Furna Feia National Park in Rio Grande do Norte protects an extensive cave system.
Praia das Fontes
Praia das Fontes in Beberibe, Ceará, takes its name from the many freshwater springs that flow out of its cliffs.
Lagoon of Messejana
Lagoon of Messejana (Lagoa de Messejana) sits in the Messejana neighborhood of Fortaleza, Ceará, and is part of the Cocó River basin.
Museu do Eclipse
Sobral opened the Museu do Eclipse on May 29, 1999, marking eighty years since the confirmation of the Theory of Relativity.
Ubajara National Park
Ubajara National Park is a national park in the state of Ceará, best known for the Ubajara grotto, a cave that gives the park its reputation.
Sete Cidades National Park
Sete Cidades National Park is a national park in the state of Piauí, Brazil.
St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior
In Campo Maior, Piauí, St. Anthony Cathedral is a Catholic church on Bona Primo Square, also known as Campo Maior Cathedral.
Memorial Esperança Garcia
On Avenida Miguel Rosa in Teresina, the Memorial Esperança Garcia is a cultural space opened in July 2007 and run by the Piauí State Department of Culture.
Museu do Piauí
Created and run by the Piauí state government, the Museu do Piauí is a museum founded in 1995 by former vice governor Osmar Junior.
In Caxias itself
Memorial da Balaiada
Opened in 2004 in Caxias, 365 km from São Luís, Memorial da Balaiada is an educational and cultural center with a museum and a documentation center.
More drives to Caxias
From Mossoró to other places in Brazil
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Mossoró to Caxias?
About 12 h 58 min of driving without stops, over 554 miles.
What is the driving distance from Mossoró to Caxias?
About 554 miles (892 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 Mossoró to Caxias drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Mossoró to Caxias use?
In order: BR-304, CE-040, BR-020, BR-222, BR-343 and BR-316. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Mossoró and Caxias?
Closest to the road: St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior (cathedral, mile 458, 0.5 mi from the route); Memorial Esperança Garcia (museum, mile 510, 0.6 mi from the route); Museu do Piauí (history museum, mile 512, 0.3 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.