The Wayro route from Payson to San Felipe is 432 miles (696 km), about 8 h 50 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 291 on this route, near the San Luis 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 | 432 mi (696 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 50 min |
| Main roads, in order | AZ 87 → AZ 202 Loop → I-10 → AZ 85 → US-80 Hist → I-8 → AZ 195 → SON 3 → BC 4 → BC 41 → MEX-5 |
| Border crossing | about mile 291 of this route, Arizona → Sonora (near the San Luis, AZ port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Sonora (Level 3), Baja California (Level 3) |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for San Felipe
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: San Felipe is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| 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 San Luis
The San Luis port connects San Luis, Arizona, south of Yuma, with San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora. It handles passenger vehicles and heavy pedestrian traffic, and GSA calls it the second busiest non-commercial vehicle port in Arizona; trucks use the separate San Luis II crossing east of town.
What the drive from Payson to San Felipe is like
I-8 (107 mi) and MEX-5 (91 mi) carry about 46% of the 432 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 291 miles; after the border at San Luis you have about 141 miles left in Mexico. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Payson to San Felipe, 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 | 157–264 | 107 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 264–265 | 1 | Arizona |
| AZ 195 | 265–291 | 26 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 291–293 | 2 | Sonora |
| SON 3 | 293–316 | 23 | Sonora |
| connecting roads | 316–318 | 2 | Sonora, Baja California |
| BC 4 | 318–337 | 19 | Baja California |
| BC 41 | 337–341 | 4 | Baja California |
| MEX-5 | 341–432 | 91 | Baja California |
- Mile 291 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
- Mile 317 of this route: Sonora → Baja California (state line)
Stops between Payson and San Felipe
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Arizona State University Art Museum (mile 79), Pueblo Grande Ruin and Irrigation Sites (mile 83), St. Mary's Basilica (mile 88), Arizona State Capitol (mile 89), Yuma Desert (mile 276)
- Nature and outdoors: Arizona Museum of Natural History (mile 74), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 148), Yuma Desert (mile 276)
- Museums and history: Mesa Historical Museum (mile 73), Arizona Museum of Natural History (mile 74), Arizona State University Art Museum (mile 79), Pueblo Grande Ruin and Irrigation Sites (mile 83), 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.
Pueblo Grande Ruin and Irrigation Sites
Now called S'edav Va'aki Museum, this National Historic Landmark in Phoenix tells the story of the people who built one of the largest and most sophisticated canal systems in the New World before Europeans arrived.
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.
Yuma Desert
South of Yuma along the Mexican border, this low Sonoran Desert plain is a sweep of sand dunes and sandy soils, including the Yuma Dunes, where rare plants such as sandfood grow and flat-tailed horned lizards and fringe-toed lizards live.
When you get to San Felipe
Where the Baja desert runs straight into the warm Gulf of California, San Felipe is a fishing town about two hours south of Mexicali. It is known for sport fishing, dramatic low tides that pull the water far from shore, and seafood, especially the shrimp it celebrates with an annual festival.
- Valle de los Gigantes: South of town on the road to Puertecitos, this cactus reserve on Punta Estrella Ranch protects towering cardón cacti up to about 17 meters tall. source
- Sport fishing: Charters head into the Gulf of California from San Felipe, a town long known for sport fishing thanks to the abundance of marine species offshore. source
- Gulf beaches: The town's beaches are made for kayaking, paddleboarding and walking the wide flats exposed at low tide. source
More drives to San Felipe
- Safford, AZ to San Felipe
- Rancho Mirage, CA to San Felipe
- Coronado, CA to San Felipe
- Mesa, AZ to San Felipe
- Bisbee, AZ to San Felipe
- Casa Grande, AZ to San Felipe
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 San Felipe, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to San Felipe, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Payson to San Felipe?
About 8 h 50 min of driving without stops, over 432 miles.
How far is San Felipe from Payson by car?
About 432 miles (696 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 San Felipe drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 291 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the San Luis port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Payson to San Felipe?
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. An FMM entry permit is required too.
Is it safe to drive from Payson to San Felipe?
The U.S. State Department rates Sonora Level 3: Reconsider Travel; 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 San Felipe use?
In order: AZ 87, AZ 202 Loop, I-10, AZ 85, US-80 Hist, I-8, AZ 195, SON 3, BC 4, BC 41 and MEX-5. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Payson and San Felipe?
Closest to the road: Pueblo Grande Ruin and Irrigation Sites (archaeological site, mile 83, 0.8 mi from the route); St. Mary's Basilica (minor basilica, mile 88, 0.8 mi from the route); Yuma Desert (desert, mile 276, 0.6 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.