The Wayro route from Petrópolis to Barretos is 522 miles (840 km), about 10 h 18 min of driving without stops.
- 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.”
| Total distance | 522 mi (840 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 18 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-040 → BR-493 → BR-116 → SP-065 → SP-330 → SP-310 → SP-326 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Petrópolis to Barretos is like
BR-116 (184 mi) and SP-065 (87 mi) carry about 52% of the 522 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Petrópolis and Barretos
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 4–19 | 15 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 19–21 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 21–50 | 29 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 50–234 | 184 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SP-065 | 234–321 | 87 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 321–322 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-330 | 322–352 | 30 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 352–353 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-310 | 353–440 | 87 | São Paulo |
| SP-326 | 440–519 | 79 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 519–522 | 3 | São Paulo |
- Mile 130 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Petrópolis and Barretos
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Itatiaia National Park (mile 120), Parque Ecológico de São Carlos (mile 403)
- Nature and outdoors: Itatiaia National Park (mile 120), Itapetinga State Park (mile 267)
- Museums and history: Valongo Wharf (mile 21), Museum of Folklore of São José dos Campos (mile 221), Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Campinas-José Pancetti (mile 311), Casa da Cultura Luís Antonio Martinez Corrêa (mile 427), Museu Histórico de Jaboticabal (mile 469)
- With kids: Parque Ecológico de São Carlos (mile 403)
Valongo Wharf
Built in 1811 in Rio's old port, the Valongo Wharf was where up to 900,000 enslaved Africans landed. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, its excavated stone paving is left open to view.
Itatiaia National Park
Brazil's national park system started here: Itatiaia National Park (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia) was created in 1937 as the country's first. The protected area lies on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states.
Museum of Folklore of São José dos Campos
Exhibitions, a specialized library and a toy library make up the Museum of Folklore, which has focused on Brazilian popular culture since 1997 from its home in São José dos Campos' Parque da Cidade.
Itapetinga State Park
Created in 2010, Itapetinga State Park (Parque Estadual de Itapetinga) protects an area of São Paulo state shared by Atibaia, Bom Jesus dos Perdões, Mairiporã and Nazaré Paulista.
Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Campinas-José Pancetti
Campinas's Museum of Contemporary Art (MACC), founded in 1965, sits on Avenida Benjamin Constant downtown, beside the city hall and municipal library. Its collection focuses on postwar Brazilian art, with paintings, sculpture, works on paper and installations.
Parque Ecológico de São Carlos
Officially named Parque Ecológico Dr. Antônio Teixeira Vianna, this ecological park belongs to the city of São Carlos and sits right next to the Federal University of São Carlos.
Astronomical Observatory Dietrich Schiel
On USP's Campus 1 in São Carlos, the Dietrich Schiel Observatory opened in April 1986, coinciding with the passage of Halley's Comet, and belongs to the university's science outreach center.
Casa da Cultura Luís Antonio Martinez Corrêa
A small theater, rooms for cultural workshops and historical collections from documents to artworks fill Araraquara's Casa da Cultura.
Museu Histórico de Jaboticabal
Run by the city of Jaboticabal, the Museu Histórico de Jaboticabal Aloísio de Almeida was created by law in 1965 and opened to the public on July 16, 1979, to preserve the town's historic and artistic heritage.
In Barretos itself
Museu Ruy Menezes
In Barretos, São Paulo, the Ruy Menezes Historical, Artistic and Folkloric Museum safeguards the city's memory through documents and objects from local history.
More drives to Barretos
- Araraquara to Barretos
- São Carlos to Barretos
- Limeira to Barretos
- Piracicaba to Barretos
- Poços de Caldas to Barretos
- Campinas to Barretos
From Petrópolis to other places in Brazil
- Petrópolis to Guaratinguetá
- Petrópolis to Pindamonhangaba
- Petrópolis to Jacareí
- Petrópolis to Caraguatatuba
- Petrópolis to Bragança Paulista
- Petrópolis to Paranapiacaba
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Petrópolis to Barretos?
About 10 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 522 miles.
How far is Barretos from Petrópolis by car?
About 522 miles (840 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 Petrópolis to Barretos drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Petrópolis to Barretos?
In order: BR-040, BR-493, BR-116, SP-065, SP-330, SP-310 and SP-326. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Petrópolis and Barretos?
Closest to the road: Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 120, 0.4 mi from the route); Parque Ecológico de São Carlos (zoo, mile 403, 0.4 mi from the route); Museu Histórico de Jaboticabal (museum, mile 469, 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 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.