The Wayro route from Palm Desert to Magdalena de Kino is 490 miles (788 km), about 8 h 0 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 434 on this route, near the Nogales port of entry.
| Distance | 490 mi (788 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 0 min |
| Main roads, in order | CA-111 Old → I-10 → I-19 → MEX-15D → MEX-15 |
| Border crossing | about mile 434 of this route, Arizona → Sonora (near the Nogales, AZ port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Sonora (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Magdalena de Kino
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Magdalena de Kino is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed: Magdalena de Kino is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit |
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you cross |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito. Sonora free zone: Explore Sonora.
Crossing at Nogales
Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, share several crossings: DeConcini downtown is the main gateway for visitors and daily crossers, Morley Gate nearby serves pedestrians, and Mariposa on the west side handles commercial trucks. The city is also home to Arizona's only rail crossing.
What the drive from Palm Desert to Magdalena de Kino is like
I-10 (359 mi) and I-19 (61 mi) carry about 86% of the 490 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through California, Arizona for about 434 miles; after the border at Nogales you have about 56 miles left in Mexico. The Mexican leg uses MEX-15D, a toll highway (cuota). Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Palm Desert to Magdalena de Kino, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA-111 Old | 0–10 | 10 | California |
| connecting roads | 10–11 | 1 | California |
| I-10 | 11–370 | 359 | California, Arizona |
| I-19 | 370–431 | 61 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 431–434 | 3 | Arizona |
| MEX-15D | 434–442 | 8 | Sonora |
| MEX-15 | 442–485 | 43 | Sonora |
| local roads | 485–490 | 5 | Sonora |
- Mile 110 of this route: California → Arizona (state line)
- Mile 434 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
Stops between Palm Desert and Magdalena de Kino
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tonopah Desert (mile 204), Arizona State Capitol (mile 254), Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 368), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 414)
- Nature and outdoors: Joshua Tree National Park (mile 34), Tonopah Desert (mile 204), Picacho Peak State Park (mile 329), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 414)
- Museums and history: Chuckwalla National Monument (mile 66), Arizona State Capitol (mile 254), Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (mile 301), Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 368), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 414)
Joshua Tree National Park
Here the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet amid Joshua trees, boulder formations, and dark night skies. Hiking, rock climbing, stargazing, and four-wheel driving are all popular across this southern California wilderness.
Chuckwalla National Monument
Designated in January 2025, this national monument covers desert where the Sonoran and Mojave meet, including the Mecca Hills and Orocopia Mountains. Hike Painted Canyon, drive the Bradshaw Trail, or camp at Corn Springs, amid ancestral lands of five tribal nations.
Tonopah Desert
The Tonopah Desert is a small plains region of the Sonoran Desert west of Phoenix, lying just north of Interstate 10 near where the Hassayampa River meets the Gila River.
Arizona State Capitol
Built from 1898 to 1901 and topped by a copper dome and a Winged Victory weathervane, Arizona's historic capitol now houses the Arizona Capitol Museum, including USS Arizona artifacts. Monuments and memorials fill Wesley Bolin Plaza outside.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Standing for more than 600 years, the Great House is the centerpiece of this preserved Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community near Coolidge. Visitors can also see the adobe walls of Compound A and a visitor center museum.
Picacho Peak State Park
Between Tucson and Casa Grande off I-10, the park surrounds 1,500-foot Picacho Peak, site of the 1862 Battle of Picacho Pass. Expect hiking trails, a campground, and spring displays of Mexican gold poppies.
Cathedral of Saint Augustine
Mother church of the Diocese of Tucson, this downtown cathedral wears a 1928 cast-stone façade inspired by the Cathedral of Querétaro, Mexico, decorated with yucca and saguaro blossoms and a depiction of Mission San Xavier del Bac.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
An adobe mission church anchors this park in the Santa Cruz River valley, where O'odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries. Tour the mission grounds and visitor center, then walk the Anza Trail along the river.
When you get to Magdalena de Kino
About 50 miles south of the Nogales border on Federal Highway 15, Magdalena de Kino began as a Jesuit mission founded by Father Eusebio Francisco Kino in 1687. The missionary's remains rest here, which draws pilgrims from both sides of the border, and the town joined Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos program in 2012.
- Father Kino's crypt: Kino's remains lie in a mausoleum on the main plaza, where visitors can look down at them through windows. source
- Templo de Santa María Magdalena: The town church holds the venerated reclining image of San Francisco Javier, whose feast is the biggest event on the town calendar. source
- Misión San Ignacio de Cabórica: About 8 km (5 miles) away in the village of San Ignacio, this Kino-era mission has a carved wooden door and an original spiral staircase. source
More drives to Magdalena de Kino
- Goodyear, AZ to Magdalena de Kino
- Cottonwood, AZ to Magdalena de Kino
- Laughlin, NV to Magdalena de Kino
- Boulder City, NV to Magdalena de Kino
- Glendale, AZ to Magdalena de Kino
- Williams, AZ to Magdalena de Kino
From Palm Desert to other places in Mexico
- Palm Desert, CA to Cananea
- Palm Desert, CA to Puerto Peñasco
- Palm Desert, CA to Tijuana
- Palm Desert, CA to Bahía de los Ángeles
- Palm Desert, CA to Nogales
- Palm Desert, CA to Mexicali
All routes to Magdalena de Kino, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Magdalena de Kino, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Palm Desert to Magdalena de Kino?
About 8 h 0 min of driving without stops, over 490 miles.
How far is Magdalena de Kino from Palm Desert by car?
About 490 miles (788 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 Palm Desert to Magdalena de Kino drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 434 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the Nogales port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Palm Desert to Magdalena de Kino?
No vehicle permit is needed. Magdalena de Kino is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit. You also need Mexican auto insurance and a passport book or card. An FMM entry permit is required too.
Is it safe to drive from Palm Desert to Magdalena de Kino?
The U.S. State Department rates Sonora Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Palm Desert to Magdalena de Kino use?
In order: CA-111 Old, I-10, I-19, MEX-15D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Palm Desert and Magdalena de Kino?
Closest to the road: Tonopah Desert (desert, mile 204, 0.2 mi from the route); Cathedral of Saint Augustine (catholic cathedral, mile 368, 0.6 mi from the route); Tumacácori National Historical Park (National Historical Park, mile 414, 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 mile 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 (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city 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 September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.