The Wayro route from Porto Alegre to Santa Maria, Brazil is 181 miles (291 km), about 4 h 20 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance by road | 181 mi (291 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 20 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-448 → BR-386 → RSC-287 |
| States on the route | Rio Grande do Sul |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
How the Porto Alegre to Santa Maria drive plays out
RSC-287 (126 mi) and BR-386 (34 mi) carry about 88% of the 181 miles. None of the 6 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Which roads connect Porto Alegre and Santa Maria
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 4–5 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-448 | 5–13 | 8 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-386 | 13–47 | 34 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-287 | 47–173 | 126 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 173–181 | 8 | Rio Grande do Sul |
Places worth a stop between Porto Alegre and Santa Maria
- Nature and outdoors: Jacuí Delta State Park (mile 11)
- Museums and history: Arquivo Histórico e Museu de Canoas (mile 7), St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Santa Cruz do Sul (mile 92), Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum (mile 116)
Arquivo Histórico e Museu de Canoas
Canoas's history museum and archive keeps photos, newspapers, maps, documents, audiovisual material and objects that tell the story of the city in Rio Grande do Sul.
Jacuí Delta State Park
Created in 1976, Jacuí Delta State Park (Parque Estadual Delta do Jacuí) protects the delta between Porto Alegre, Canoas, Eldorado do Sul and nearby towns, where fishers from Ilha da Pintada still practice traditional fishing.
St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Santa Cruz do Sul
Facing Getúlio Vargas Square in central Santa Cruz do Sul, St. John the Baptist Cathedral is the city's Roman Catholic cathedral.
Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum
In the town of Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, the Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum is part of the Paleorrota Geopark and offers information about the region.
Aqueduto de Candelária
In Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, the Aqueduto de Candelária stands in the Linha Curitiba area. It was commissioned by João Kochenborger, one of the first German immigrants to reach the municipality, in 1862.
Planetário Professor José Mariano da Rocha Filho
Founded in 1971 at the Federal University of Santa Maria, this planetarium seats 120 people and has used a Digistar 4 digital projector since 2011.
Once you reach Santa Maria
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción
Seat of the Archdiocese of Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul, this eclectic cathedral mixes neo-Baroque and neoclassical styles; construction started in 1902 under parish priest Caetano Pagliuca, and it opened in 1909.
Educational Museum Gama D'Eça
The Gama D'Eça Educational Museum sits at Rua do Acampamento 81 in central Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul.
Museum Vincente Pallotti
On Avenida Presidente Vargas in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, the Vicente Pallotti Museum shares a complex with Palotina College.
More drives to Santa Maria
- Caxias do Sul to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Joinville to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Itajaí to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Blumenau to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Florianópolis to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Corrientes to Santa Maria, Brazil
From Porto Alegre to other places in Brazil
- Porto Alegre to Bento Gonçalves
- Porto Alegre to Caxias do Sul
- Porto Alegre to Erechim
- Porto Alegre to Chapecó
- Porto Alegre to Ponta Grossa
- Porto Alegre to Paranaguá
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Porto Alegre to Santa Maria, Brazil?
About 4 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 181 miles.
How far is Santa Maria, Brazil from Porto Alegre by car?
About 181 miles (291 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.
Is it safe to drive from Porto Alegre to Santa Maria, Brazil?
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 Porto Alegre to Santa Maria use?
In order: BR-448, BR-386 and RSC-287. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Porto Alegre to Santa Maria?
Closest to the road: Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum (museum, mile 116, 1 mi from the route); Aqueduto de Candelária (aqueduct, mile 117, 1 mi from the route); Planetário Professor José Mariano da Rocha Filho (planetarium, mile 174, 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.