By road, Petrópolis and Linhares are about 375 miles (604 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 14 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.”
| Distance by road | 375 mi (604 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 14 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-040 → CMG-393 → RJ-186 → ES-297 → BR-101 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Petrópolis to Linhares
BR-101 (184 mi) and RJ-186 (64 mi) carry about 66% of the 375 miles. It runs through 3 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Petrópolis to Linhares, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–10 | 10 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 10–24 | 14 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 24–25 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 25–68 | 43 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 68–70 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| CMG-393 | 70–98 | 28 | Minas Gerais |
| RJ-186 | 98–162 | 64 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| ES-297 | 162–190 | 28 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 190–374 | 184 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 374–375 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 69 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
- Mile 104 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
- Mile 187 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Petrópolis and Linhares
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 293), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 324)
- Nature and outdoors: Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 15), Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 204), Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 226), Paulo César Vinha State Park (mile 272), Fonte Grande State Park (mile 295)
- Museums and history: Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 15), Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 204), Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 293), Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado (mile 306), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 324)
Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument
The Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument is a municipal natural monument, a protected area in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Serra das Torres Natural Monument
Covering about 10,459 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Atílio Vivácqua, Mimoso do Sul and Muqui, the Serra das Torres Natural Monument was created in 2010 to protect the peaks of a mountain range in southern Espírito Santo.
Frade e a Freira Natural Monument
Created by state decree in 2007, the Frade e a Freira Natural Monument is a state-run protected area in Espírito Santo spanning parts of Itapemirim, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Vargem Alta.
Paulo César Vinha State Park
Along the Atlantic shore in Guarapari, Paulo César Vinha State Park protects dunes, lagoons and marshes. Its trails lead to the beach and to Lagoa de Caraís.
Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo
In Cariacica, the Espírito Santo Military Police Museum holds more than 600 objects and 900 photographs on the force's history, in a building that closely resembles the state's first barracks, Quartel do Moscoso.
Fonte Grande State Park
Fonte Grande State Park is a state-protected park in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado
In the Queimado district of Serra, Espírito Santo, these church ruins stand as a historic reminder of the Queimado Insurrection, an 1849 slave uprising.
Casa da Cultura de Fundão
Once the Agostini family residence, this two-story house in Fundão is protected as cultural heritage by Espírito Santo state and now works as a museum.
Buddha of Ibiraçu
Beside the BR-101 highway in Ibiraçu, a 35-meter Buddha statue rises at the Morro da Vargem Zen monastery. The giant figure, part of the monastery grounds, was officially inaugurated in August 2021.
In Linhares itself
Juparanã Lagoon
Juparanã Lagoon is a freshwater lagoon shared by the municipalities of Linhares, Rio Bananal and Sooretama in Espírito Santo, Brazil.
More drives to Linhares
- Vitória to Linhares
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Linhares
- Teresópolis to Linhares
- Niterói to Linhares
- Sete Lagoas to Linhares
- Barra Mansa to Linhares
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 is the drive from Petrópolis to Linhares?
About 10 h 14 min of driving without stops, over 375 miles.
How far is Linhares from Petrópolis by car?
About 375 miles (604 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 Linhares 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 Linhares?
In order: BR-040, CMG-393, RJ-186, ES-297 and BR-101. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Petrópolis to Linhares?
Closest to the road: Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (protected area, mile 226, 1 mi from the route); Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (police museum, mile 293, 0.2 mi from the route); Casa da Cultura de Fundão (museum, mile 324, 0.1 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.