By road, Rio de Janeiro and Franca are about 495 miles (796 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 43 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance | 495 mi (796 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-116 → SP-065 → SP-330 → SP-334 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Rio de Janeiro to Franca is like
BR-116 (209 mi) and SP-330 (133 mi) carry about 69% of the 495 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Rio de Janeiro and Franca
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–13 | 13 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 13–15 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 15–224 | 209 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SP-065 | 224–311 | 87 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 311–312 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-330 | 312–445 | 133 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 445–446 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-334 | 446–493 | 47 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 493–495 | 2 | São Paulo |
- Mile 120 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Stops between Rio de Janeiro and Franca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Shanghai (mile 10), Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 23), Itatiaia National Park (mile 110), Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio (mile 352), Museu Casa de Portinari (mile 457)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Shanghai (mile 10), Itatiaia National Park (mile 110), Parque Estadual de Itaberaba (mile 253), Museu de História Natural (mile 300), Porto Ferreira State Park (mile 387)
- Museums and history: Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 23), Museum of Folklore of São José dos Campos (mile 211), Museu de História Natural (mile 300), Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio (mile 352), Museu Casa de Portinari (mile 457)
Parque Shanghai
Parque Shanghai is an amusement park in the Penha neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, close to the Church of Our Lady of Penha.
Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga
Also known as Nova Iguaçu Cathedral, the Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga stands on Avenida Marechal Floriano Peixoto and is the mother church of the Diocese of Nova Iguaçu.
Itatiaia National Park
Straddling the line between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, Itatiaia National Park dates to 1937, when it became the first national park Brazil ever created.
Museum of Folklore of São José dos Campos
Exhibitions, a specialized library and a toy library make up the Museum of Folklore, which has focused on Brazilian popular culture since 1997 from its home in São José dos Campos' Parque da Cidade.
Parque Estadual de Itaberaba
Created in 2010, Itaberaba State Park (Parque Estadual Itaberaba) protects land in São Paulo state spread across Arujá, Guarulhos, Mairiporã, Nazaré Paulista and Santa Isabel.
Museu de História Natural
In Campinas' Bosque dos Jequitibás, the Natural History Museum (Museu de História Natural) has displayed about 5,000 pieces since 1939, from taxidermied mammals, birds and reptiles to fossils and specimens from Brazil's biomes.
Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio
Araras' Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio is a Catholic parish church that Pope Benedict XVI elevated to the rank of minor basilica in 2010; it belongs to the Diocese of Limeira.
Porto Ferreira State Park
Porto Ferreira State Park covers about 611 hectares in São Paulo state, where vegetation shifts from cerrado savanna to forest with jequitibá trees, and is set aside for recreation and environmental education.
Museu Casa de Portinari
In Brodowski, Candido Portinari's childhood home is now the Museu Casa de Portinari, where the painter often returned to stay with family. Inside are several of his works, mostly murals painted in fresco and tempera.
Arriving in Franca
Pinacoteca Municipal Miguel Ângelo Pucci
Founded on December 15, 1970, the Pinacoteca Municipal "Miguel Ângelo Pucci" is a public art museum in Franca, run by the city's Sports, Art and Culture Foundation.
José Chiachiri Municipal Historical Museum
Franca's municipal history museum opened to the public in 1959 and bears the name of its first director, journalist José Chiachiri. Its eclectic collection, donated piece by piece by local residents, ranges from antique furniture to parts of the city's old animal-drawn tram.
Jardim Zoobotânico de Franca
In the city of Franca, the Jardim Zoobotânico de Franca is a public zoo and botanical garden that preserves plants and native forest. It began as a 1950s tree nursery and became a zoobotanical garden in the 1990s.
More drives to Franca
- Bauru to Franca
- Campinas to Franca
- São Paulo to Franca
- Santos to Franca
- Mogi das Cruzes to Franca
- São José dos Campos to Franca
From Rio de Janeiro to other places in Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro to Itaguaí
- Rio de Janeiro to Guaratinguetá
- Rio de Janeiro to Pindamonhangaba
- Rio de Janeiro to São José dos Campos
- Rio de Janeiro to Mogi das Cruzes
- Rio de Janeiro to Caraguatatuba
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Rio de Janeiro to Franca?
About 9 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 495 miles.
How far is Franca from Rio de Janeiro by car?
About 495 miles (796 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 Rio de Janeiro to Franca drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Rio de Janeiro to Franca?
In order: BR-116, SP-065, SP-330 and SP-334. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Rio de Janeiro to Franca?
Closest to the road: Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 110, 0.3 mi from the route); Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio (basilica, mile 352, 0.6 mi from the route); Museu Casa de Portinari (museum, mile 457, 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 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.