By road, Petrópolis and Cubatão are about 311 miles (501 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 26 min of driving.
- 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Total distance | 311 mi (501 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 26 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-040 → BR-493 → BR-116 → SPI 117/070 → SP-070 → SP-021 → SP-150 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Petrópolis to Cubatão is like
BR-116 (152 mi) and SPI 117/070 (42 mi) carry about 62% of the 311 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Petrópolis to Cubatão, road by road
| 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 | 50–202 | 152 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SPI 117/070 | 202–244 | 42 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 244–260 | 16 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 260–262 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 262–291 | 29 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 291–293 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-150 | 293–311 | 18 | São Paulo |
- Mile 130 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Stops between Petrópolis and Cubatão
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Itatiaia National Park (mile 120), Museu Frei Galvão (mile 170), Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (mile 286), Parque Natural Estoril (mile 294)
- Nature and outdoors: Taquara Municipal Nature Park (mile 15), Itatiaia National Park (mile 120), Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (mile 286), Parque Natural Estoril (mile 294)
- Museums and history: Valongo Wharf (mile 21), Museu Frei Galvão (mile 170), Museu Monteiro Lobato (mile 198), Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (mile 234), Museu Barão de Mauá (mile 281)
Taquara Municipal Nature Park
Taquara Municipal Nature Park is a municipal nature park in Rio de Janeiro state that protects an area of Atlantic Forest.
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.
Museu Frei Galvão
In Guaratinguetá, São Paulo state, the Museu Frei Galvão operates as a municipal cultural institution backed by the city and a local friends' association.
Museu Monteiro Lobato
Plays featuring characters from Monteiro Lobato's stories, exhibitions, a historic main house and green areas make up the Museu Monteiro Lobato in Taubaté, a tribute to the children's author.
Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley
Ceramic vessels and stone tools are among the archaeological finds at the Museu de Antropologia do Vale do Paraíba in Jacareí, which also displays sacred art, folk art and paintings.
Museu Barão de Mauá
Mauá's history museum keeps photographs, objects and documents on the city's past and serves as its main center for historical research.
Pedroso Municipal Nature Park
Santo André's Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (Parque do Pedroso) is a strictly protected conservation unit that holds important water sources and a fragment of Atlantic Forest.
Parque Natural Estoril
In São Bernardo do Campo, Parque Natural Estoril is a conservation area protecting Atlantic Forest, part of the Billings Reservoir and local wildlife across roughly 373,000 square meters.
When you get to Cubatão
Santos Botanical Garden
Named for activist Chico Mendes, Santos Botanical Garden is an ecological park that preserves plant species and grows seedlings for the beachfront gardens and other public spaces of Santos.
Museum of Natural Sciences and Cultural Center Jewels of Nature
São Vicente's Museum of Natural Sciences and Cultural Center Jewels of Nature (Joias da Natureza) is a museum of mineralogy and natural sciences in São Paulo state.
Ecological Park of Perequê
Named for the Perequê River that runs through it, the Ecological Park of Perequê (Parque Ecológico do Perequê) is a natural area in the municipality of Cubatão.
More drives to Cubatão
- São Paulo to Cubatão
- Jundiaí to Cubatão
- Bragança Paulista to Cubatão
- Itu to Cubatão
- Campinas to Cubatão
- Limeira to Cubatão
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 Cubatão?
About 6 h 26 min of driving without stops, over 311 miles.
What is the driving distance from Petrópolis to Cubatão?
About 311 miles (501 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 Cubatão drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Petrópolis to Cubatão use?
In order: BR-040, BR-493, BR-116, SPI 117/070, SP-070, SP-021 and SP-150. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Petrópolis to Cubatão?
Closest to the road: Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 120, 0.4 mi from the route); Museu Frei Galvão (museum, mile 170, 0.4 mi from the route); Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (municipal nature park, mile 286, 0.7 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.