By road, Paysandú and Chuí, Brazil are about 422 miles (679 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 2 min of driving. You cross from Uruguay into Brazil at about mile 419.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Uruguay, Brazil. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; Brazil August 31, 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.”
- Brazil: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance | 422 mi (679 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 2 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-B |
| Border crossing | about mile 419, Uruguay → Brazil |
| Regions on the route | Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha, Rio Grande do Sul |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Border crossing: what to bring for Brazil
The route crosses at about mile 419, from Rocha into Rio Grande do Sul. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| 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. |
| 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, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026); U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
On the road from Paysandú to Chuí
I-B (5 mi) carries about 1% of the 422 miles. The first 419 miles are in Uruguay; the last 3 are in Brazil. It runs through 8 regions: Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha, Rio Grande do Sul. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Paysandú to Chuí
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–268 | 268 | Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 268–273 | 5 | Maldonado |
| connecting roads | 273–274 | 1 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 274–422 | 148 | Maldonado, Rocha, Rio Grande do Sul |
- Mile 28 of this route: Paysandú → Río Negro (region line)
- Mile 83 of this route: Río Negro → Flores (region line)
- Mile 144 of this route: Flores → San José (region line)
- Mile 194 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 263 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (region line)
- Mile 321 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (region line)
- Mile 419 of this route: Rocha → Rio Grande do Sul (international border)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Paysandú and Chuí
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 112), Teatro Politeama (mile 204), Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (mile 336), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 396)
- Nature and outdoors: Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 112), Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 274), Laguna José Ignacio (mile 308), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 396)
- Museums and history: Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 240)
Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice
Off Route 3 near Trinidad, the Dr. Rodolfo Tálice Ecopark (Reserva de Flora y Fauna Dr. Rodolfo Talice) is a fenced wildlife reserve where axis deer, greater rheas and pampas deer roam free alongside other species.
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.
Teatro Politeama
Canelones' Teatro Politeama opened in 1921 and reopened in 2014 as the Complejo Cultural Politeama Teatro Atahualpa del Cioppo. Uruguay declared the theater a National Historic Monument in 2022.
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Wavy brick walls and a rippling brick roof define this church in Estación Atlántida, along with an openwork brick bell tower and a baptistery set underground. Engineer Eladio Dieste designed it, and it opened in 1960.
Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station
Near Piriápolis in Maldonado, this breeding station for native wildlife on Cerro Pan de Azúcar is surrounded by native vegetation and offers guided visits, including a native wildlife trail and a path up the hill.
Laguna José Ignacio
In Uruguay's Maldonado Department, Laguna José Ignacio is a coastal lagoon kept apart from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandbank.
Observatorio Astronómico del CURE
Run by the University of the Republic's eastern campus (CURE), this small observatory in Rocha opened in 2016 and uses a 30 cm reflector telescope under a motorized dome for teaching, research and public outreach.
Santa Teresa National Park
Santa Teresa National Park on Rocha's coast was created to frame the colonial Santa Teresa Fortress; its grounds hold more than two million planted trees from five continents, a greenhouse and native wetland and woodland wildlife.
Parque Nacional Laguna Negra
In Rocha department, Laguna Negra National Park protects the waters of Laguna Negra, the Potrerillo de Santa Teresa biological station and part of Santa Teresa National Park north of Route 9.
More drives to Chuí
- Bagé to Chuí
- Porto Alegre to Chuí
- São Leopoldo to Chuí
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Chuí
- Novo Hamburgo to Chuí
- Santa Maria, Brazil to Chuí
More drives from Paysandú
- Paysandú to Bella Unión
- Paysandú to Artigas
- Paysandú to Carmelo
- Paysandú to Colonia del Sacramento
- Paysandú to Veinticinco de Agosto
- Paysandú to Fray Marcos
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Paysandú to Chuí, Brazil?
About 9 h 2 min of driving without stops, over 422 miles.
What is the driving distance from Paysandú to Chuí, Brazil?
About 422 miles (679 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 Paysandú to Chuí drive cross the border?
At about mile 419, from Uruguay into Brazil.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Paysandú into Brazil?
Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 06, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Paysandú to Chuí drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Paysandú and Chuí?
Closest to the road: Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (botanical garden, mile 112, 0.2 mi from the route); Teatro Politeama (theater, mile 204, 0.1 mi from the route); Santa Teresa National Park (national park, mile 396, 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 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.