The Wayro route from Payson to Mexicali is 334 miles (538 km), about 5 h 53 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 332 on this route, near the Calexico West port of entry.
What the State Department tells travelers on this route:
- Baja California: “Travelers should remain on main highways and avoid remote locations.”
| Distance | 334 mi (538 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 53 min |
| Main roads, in order | AZ 87 → AZ 202 Loop → I-10 → AZ 85 → US-80 Hist → I-8 → CA-7 |
| Border crossing | about mile 332 of this route, California → Baja California (near the Calexico West, CA port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Baja California (Level 3) |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Mexicali
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Not needed if you stay within 12 miles (20 km) of the border for 6 days or less; required for longer stays or if you travel farther in |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed: Baja California is in Mexico's hassle-free zone for U.S. vehicles |
| 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.
Crossing at Calexico West
Calexico West sits in downtown Calexico, directly across from Mexicali, and GSA describes it as the main border crossing linking the Imperial Valley to Baja California. It handles passenger vehicles and pedestrians and is in the middle of a multi-phase federal modernization.
Sources: [1]
What the drive from Payson to Mexicali is like
I-8 (162 mi) and AZ 87 (73 mi) carry about 70% of the 334 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona, California for about 332 miles; after the border at Calexico West you have about 2 miles left in Mexico. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Payson to Mexicali, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ 87 | 0–73 | 73 | Arizona |
| AZ 202 Loop | 73–85 | 12 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 85–86 | 1 | Arizona |
| I-10 | 86–119 | 33 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 119–121 | 2 | Arizona |
| AZ 85 | 121–124 | 3 | Arizona |
| US-80 Hist | 124–153 | 29 | Arizona |
| AZ 85 | 153–157 | 4 | Arizona |
| I-8 | 157–319 | 162 | Arizona, California |
| CA-7 | 319–327 | 8 | California |
| local roads | 327–334 | 7 | California, Baja California |
- Mile 277 of this route: Arizona → California (state line)
- Mile 332 of this route: California → Baja California (international border)
Stops between Payson and Mexicali
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Arizona State University Art Museum (mile 79), St. Mary's Basilica (mile 88), Arizona State Capitol (mile 89)
- Nature and outdoors: Arizona Museum of Natural History (mile 74), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 148), Colorado Desert (mile 313)
- Museums and history: Mesa Historical Museum (mile 73), Arizona Museum of Natural History (mile 74), Arizona State University Art Museum (mile 79), St. Mary's Basilica (mile 88), Arizona State Capitol (mile 89), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 148)
- With kids: Phoenix Zoo (mile 80)
Mesa Historical Museum
Housed in the restored 1913 Lehi School, this museum traces Mesa's story through exhibits on founding families, O'odham and Piipaash cultures, Kachina carvings, and a replica 1880s adobe schoolhouse. The school building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Arizona Museum of Natural History
Dinosaurs, fossils, minerals, meteorites and Native American artifacts from the Sonoran Desert region fill this Mesa museum, which also offers hands-on activities like gold panning.
Arizona State University Art Museum
Housed in Antoine Predock's Nelson Fine Arts Center, opened in 1989 on ASU's Tempe campus, the museum fills three floors with exhibitions drawn from a collection begun in 1950.
Phoenix Zoo
Opened in 1962, this nonprofit zoo on Phoenix's east side cares for more than 3,000 animals, many endangered, and is known for conservation work with species like Mexican wolves and black-footed ferrets.
St. Mary's Basilica
Phoenix's oldest Catholic parish worships in this Mission Revival church, completed in 1914 and lit by Emil Frei stained glass; Pope John Paul II named it a minor basilica in 1985 and prayed here during his 1987 visit.
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.
Sonoran Desert National Monument
Created in 2001, this BLM monument protects saguaro forests across the Maricopa, Sand Tank, and Table Top mountains. Traces of the Juan Bautista de Anza and Butterfield Overland trails cross it, and hikers, campers, and stargazers find three wilderness areas.
Ogilby Hills
The Ogilby Hills are a desert mountain range in Imperial County, California, part of the Colorado Desert in the Lower Colorado River Valley near the Colorado River.
Colorado Desert
Part of the larger Sonoran Desert, the Colorado Desert stretches across Southern California into Baja California. Its low basins are dominated by creosote, ocotillo and cholla cactus, and it meets the Mojave Desert inside Joshua Tree National Park.
When you get to Mexicali
Baja California's state capital sits on the desert floor directly across the border from Calexico, and summer highs here can approach 50°C (about 122°F). Mexicali is known across Mexico for its Chinese food, a tradition that took root when Chinese immigrants settled in the 1910s and built the downtown district called La Chinesca.
- La Chinesca: The historic Chinese quarter downtown mixes Chinese and Mexican architecture and has a Chinese temple, small museums and plenty of Chinese-Mexican restaurants. source
- Museo UABC: Run by the state university since 1977, it covers desert ecology, paleontology, archaeology and the Cucapá, Kiliwa, Pai Pai and Kumiai peoples. source
- Museo Sol del Niño: A hands-on science and environment museum for kids, housed in La Jabonera del Pacífico, a former cottonseed warehouse recognized as heritage by INAH. source
More drives to Mexicali
- Fresno, CA to Mexicali
- Silver City, NM to Mexicali
- Long Beach, CA to Mexicali
- Winslow, AZ to Mexicali
- Poway, CA to Mexicali
- El Centro, CA to Mexicali
From Payson to other places in Mexico
- Payson, AZ to Hermosillo
- Payson, AZ to Ensenada
- Payson, AZ to Puerto Peñasco
- Payson, AZ to Magdalena de Kino
- Payson, AZ to Nogales
- Payson, AZ to Agua Prieta
All routes to Mexicali, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Mexicali, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Payson to Mexicali?
About 5 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 334 miles.
How far is Mexicali from Payson by car?
About 334 miles (538 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 Payson to Mexicali drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 332 of this route, from California into Baja California, near the Calexico West port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Payson to Mexicali?
No vehicle permit is needed. Baja California is in Mexico's hassle-free zone for U.S. vehicles. You also need Mexican auto insurance and a passport book or card.
Is it safe to drive from Payson to Mexicali?
The U.S. State Department rates Baja California Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Payson to Mexicali use?
In order: AZ 87, AZ 202 Loop, I-10, AZ 85, US-80 Hist, I-8 and CA-7. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Payson and Mexicali?
Closest to the road: Arizona State University Art Museum (university art museum, mile 79, 0.9 mi from the route); St. Mary's Basilica (minor basilica, mile 88, 0.8 mi from the route); Arizona State Capitol (history museum, mile 89, 1 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.