The Wayro route from Petrópolis to Itu is 336 miles (540 km), about 6 h 46 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Total distance | 336 mi (540 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 46 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-040 → BR-493 → BR-116 → SP-060 → SP-015 → SP-280 → SP-075 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Petrópolis to Itu
BR-116 (189 mi) and SP-280 (36 mi) carry about 67% of the 336 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Petrópolis to Itu, 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 | 50–239 | 189 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SP-060 | 239–273 | 34 | São Paulo |
| SP-015 | 273–283 | 10 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 283–288 | 5 | São Paulo |
| SP-280 | 288–324 | 36 | São Paulo |
| SP-075 | 324–333 | 9 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 333–336 | 3 | São Paulo |
- Mile 130 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Petrópolis and Itu
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Itatiaia National Park (mile 120)
- Nature and outdoors: Taquara Municipal Nature Park (mile 15), Itatiaia National Park (mile 120)
- Museums and history: Valongo Wharf (mile 21), Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani" (mile 202), Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro (mile 221), Casa Número Um (mile 276), Sexual Diversity Museum (mile 277), Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi (mile 296)
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 da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani"
In Quiririm, a district of Taubaté, the Italian Immigration Museum fills the brick Casa Indiani, built between 1897 and 1903 by a family from Cremona, with photos, furniture, machinery and a period classroom recalling immigrant life.
Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Inside the DCTA aerospace complex in São José dos Campos, this memorial traces Brazil's aerospace history with aircraft such as the Bandeirante and Tucano, the VLS-1 rocket, engines, simulators and satellite parts.
Nelson Rodrigues Theatre
Built on the former headquarters of the farm that gave rise to the Vila Galvão neighborhood, the Nelson Rodrigues Theatre in Guarulhos was designed by architect Ramos de Azevedo.
Casa Número Um
Casa Número Um is a three-story historic townhouse in central São Paulo, built where a rammed-earth house stood whose first recorded owner, in 1689, was Francisco Dias.
Sexual Diversity Museum
Created in 2012 by the São Paulo state culture secretariat, the Museum of Sexual Diversity promotes LGBT culture in Brazil through temporary and traveling exhibitions.
Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi
Named for Emanuel von Lauenstein Massarani, this contemporary art museum is housed in the Itapevi city council building, in the northeast part of the city.
When you get to Itu
Parque da Rocha Moutonnée
In Salto, São Paulo, this park preserves a granite rock outcrop shaped by a Paleozoic glaciation 270 to 350 million years ago, found in 1946 and key evidence for the glacial origin of regional rocks.
Museu do Tietê
Inside Tietê Ecological Park in São Paulo's East Zone, this museum in a Ruy Ohtake-designed building tells the story of the Tietê River through documents, photos and Indigenous objects.
Museu Republicano "Convencão de Itú"
Set in a townhouse in Itu where opponents of Brazil's monarchy met in 1873, the Republican Museum focuses on the period of the Old Republic.
More drives to Itu
- Araraquara to Itu
- Ribeirão Preto to Itu
- Bragança Paulista to Itu
- São Paulo to Itu
- São Vicente to Itu
- Santos to Itu
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 Itu?
About 6 h 46 min of driving without stops, over 336 miles.
How far is Itu from Petrópolis by car?
About 336 miles (540 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 Itu 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 Itu use?
In order: BR-040, BR-493, BR-116, SP-060, SP-015, SP-280 and SP-075. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Petrópolis and Itu?
Closest to the road: Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 120, 0.4 mi from the route); Sexual Diversity Museum (museum, mile 277, 2 mi from the route); Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi (museum, mile 296, 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.