Pine to Guaymas, Mexico Drive: Border Crossing, Route & Stops

By admin, 30 September, 2026

The Wayro route from Pine to Guaymas is 529 miles (852 km), about 9 h 15 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 270 on this route, near the Nogales port of entry.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Sonora — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Sonora is the Mexican state that contains Guaymas. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Buseck Center for Meteorite StudiesCasa Grande Ruins National MonumentPicacho Peak State ParkCathedral of Saint AugustineTumacácori National Historical ParkU.S.–Mexico borderPineGuaymas
Route from Pine to Guaymas with the 5 stops listed below (blue dots) and the approximate U.S.–Mexico border crossing (red square).
Distance529 mi (852 km)
Driving time, no stops9 h 15 min
Main roads, in orderAZ 87 → AZ 101 Loop → AZ 202 Loop → I-10 → I-19 → MEX-15D → MEX-15
Border crossingabout mile 270 of this route, Arizona → Sonora (near the Nogales, AZ port of entry)
Mexican states on the routeSonora (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 21.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below5

Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Guaymas

PassportPassport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land
FMM entry permitRequired for this trip: Guaymas is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed
Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP)Not needed: Guaymas is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit
Mexican auto insuranceRequired 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. Sonora free zone: Explore Sonora.

Crossing at Nogales

Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, share several crossings: DeConcini downtown is the main gateway for visitors and daily crossers, Morley Gate nearby serves pedestrians, and Mariposa on the west side handles commercial trucks. The city is also home to Arizona's only rail crossing.

Sources: [1] [2]

What the drive from Pine to Guaymas is like

MEX-15D (147 mi) and MEX-15 (113 mi) carry about 49% of the 529 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 270 miles; after the border at Nogales you have about 259 miles left in Mexico. The Mexican leg uses MEX-15D, a toll highway (cuota). Of the 5 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Pine to Guaymas, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
AZ 870–8888Arizona
connecting roads88–913Arizona
AZ 101 Loop91–10211Arizona
connecting roads102–1031Arizona
AZ 202 Loop103–1063Arizona
connecting roads106–1071Arizona
I-10107–20598Arizona
connecting roads205–2061Arizona
I-19206–26559Arizona
connecting roads265–2694Arizona
MEX-15D269–2778Arizona, Sonora
MEX-15277–32043Sonora
MEX-15D320–459139Sonora
MEX-15459–52970Sonora
  • Mile 270 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)

Stops between Pine and Guaymas

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 203), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 250)
  • Nature and outdoors: Picacho Peak State Park (mile 165), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 250)
  • Museums and history: Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies (mile 93), Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (mile 137), Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 203), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 250)

Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies

Mile 93 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

On the second floor of ASU's ISTB4 building in Tempe, the Buseck Center's public gallery displays the Carleton B. Moore meteorite collection, with exhibits on planet formation and real meteorites visitors can touch.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Mile 137 · National monument · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Standing for more than 600 years, the Great House is the centerpiece of this preserved Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community near Coolidge. Visitors can also see the adobe walls of Compound A and a visitor center museum.

Picacho Peak State Park

Mile 165 · State park · 2 mi from the route

Between Tucson and Casa Grande off I-10, the park surrounds 1,500-foot Picacho Peak, site of the 1862 Battle of Picacho Pass. Expect hiking trails, a campground, and spring displays of Mexican gold poppies.

Cathedral of Saint Augustine

Mile 203 · Catholic cathedral · 0.6 mi from the route

Mother church of the Diocese of Tucson, this downtown cathedral wears a 1928 cast-stone façade inspired by the Cathedral of Querétaro, Mexico, decorated with yucca and saguaro blossoms and a depiction of Mission San Xavier del Bac.

Tumacácori National Historical Park

Mile 250 · National Historical Park · 0.2 mi from the route

An adobe mission church anchors this park in the Santa Cruz River valley, where O'odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries. Tour the mission grounds and visitor center, then walk the Anza Trail along the river.

When you get to Guaymas

Guaymas is a working port on Sonora's Gulf of California coast, where the desert mountains drop straight to the sea. Its old downtown keeps a cluster of historic churches and a waterfront plaza, and the resort area of San Carlos sits just up the coast.

  • Templo de San Fernando: The church of San Fernando is one of the historic landmarks of downtown Guaymas. source
  • Plaza 13 de Julio: This downtown plaza is one of the public squares highlighted by Mexico's Culture Ministry among Guaymas' points of interest. source
  • Templo de San José de Guaymas: The parish church of San José is another stop on a walk through the city's historic churches, along with the Sagrado Corazón church. source

More drives to Guaymas

From Pine to other places in Mexico

All routes to Guaymas, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Guaymas, Mexico from the U.S.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Pine to Guaymas?

About 9 h 15 min of driving without stops, over 529 miles.

How far is Guaymas from Pine by car?

About 529 miles (852 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 Pine to Guaymas drive cross into Mexico?

At about mile 270 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the Nogales port of entry.

Do I need a permit to drive my car from Pine to Guaymas?

No vehicle permit is needed. Guaymas is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit. 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 Pine to Guaymas?

The U.S. State Department rates Sonora Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Pine to Guaymas use?

In order: AZ 87, AZ 101 Loop, AZ 202 Loop, I-10, I-19, MEX-15D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Pine and Guaymas?

Closest to the road: Picacho Peak State Park (state park, mile 165, 2 mi from the route); Cathedral of Saint Augustine (catholic cathedral, mile 203, 0.6 mi from the route); Tumacácori National Historical Park (National Historical Park, mile 250, 0.2 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 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.