Plan on about 9 h 31 min of driving for the 445-mile (716 km) trip from Rosario, Argentina to Maldonado, Uruguay, before any stops. You cross from Argentina into Uruguay at about mile 185, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
Full advisory: Argentina, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Argentina: “Gas stations are often far apart and not always easily identified from the main roadway.”
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Distance by road | 445 mi (716 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 31 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN174 → RP11 → RN12 → RP16 → RN136 → I-B |
| Border crossing | about mile 185, Argentina → Uruguay (the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge) |
| Regions on the route | Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing from Argentina into Uruguay
The route crosses at about mile 185, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge, from Entre Ríos into Río Negro. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Argentina (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
| Driving in Argentina | A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
How the Rosario to Maldonado drive plays out
RP11 (64 mi) and RP16 (41 mi) carry about 24% of the 445 miles. The first 185 miles are in Argentina; the last 260 are in Uruguay. It runs through 8 regions: Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Rosario to Maldonado: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | Santa Fe |
| connecting roads | 7–8 | 1 | Santa Fe |
| RN174 | 8–45 | 37 | Santa Fe, Entre Ríos |
| RP11 | 45–109 | 64 | Entre Ríos |
| RN12 | 109–114 | 5 | Entre Ríos |
| RP16 | 114–155 | 41 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 155–160 | 5 | Entre Ríos |
| connecting roads | 160–163 | 3 | Entre Ríos |
| RN136 | 163–182 | 19 | Entre Ríos |
| connecting roads | 182–185 | 3 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 185–281 | 96 | Río Negro, Soriano |
| connecting roads | 281–282 | 1 | Soriano |
| local roads | 282–318 | 36 | Colonia, San José |
| connecting roads | 318–321 | 3 | San José |
| local roads | 321–388 | 67 | San José, Canelones |
| connecting roads | 388–389 | 1 | Canelones |
| local roads | 389–418 | 29 | Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 418–438 | 20 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 438–445 | 7 | Maldonado |
- Mile 11 of this route: Santa Fe → Entre Ríos (region line)
- Mile 185 of this route: Entre Ríos → Río Negro (international border)
- Mile 201 of this route: Río Negro → Soriano (region line)
- Mile 282 of this route: Soriano → Colonia (region line)
- Mile 300 of this route: Colonia → San José (region line)
- Mile 343 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 412 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (region line)
Stops between Rosario and Maldonado
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Balneario La Florida (mile 6), Abadía del Niño Dios (mile 45), Gualeguaychú Cathedral (mile 161), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 202), Teatro Macció (mile 319)
- Nature and outdoors: Balneario La Florida (mile 6), Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 425)
- Museums and history: Gualeguaychú Cathedral (mile 161), Alejandro Berro Paleontology Museum (mile 199), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 202), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 389)
Balneario La Florida
Rosario's municipal riverside beach area runs nearly 4 kilometers along the Paraná River, from the Rosario-Victoria Bridge to Parque Alem, and dates to around 1940.
Abadía del Niño Dios
Abadía del Niño Dios is a Benedictine monastery in Victoria, Entre Ríos Province. Founded in 1899, it was the first Benedictine foundation in Hispanic America.
Gualeguaychú Cathedral
In Gualeguaychú, Argentina, the Roman Catholic diocese has its cathedral church at St. Joseph's, also known as Gualeguaychú Cathedral.
Frigorífico Anglo del Uruguay
The former Anglo meatpacking plant on the Uruguay River at Fray Bentos began shipping frozen meat in 1924, on the site where Liebig exported meat extract and corned beef from 1865. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape inscribed in 2015.
Alejandro Berro Paleontology Museum
In a 19th-century building in Mercedes' Parque Castillo Mauá, this paleontology museum opened in 1946 around the collection of naturalist Alejandro Berro; a well-preserved glyptodon shell found on a nearby riverbank is a highlight.
Cathedral of Mercedes
Mercedes, Uruguay, centers its Catholic life on the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy, which became the seat of the local diocese in 1960.
Teatro Macció
San José de Mayo's Teatro Bartolomé Macció is a traditional theater, regarded as the city's most important building architecturally and declared a Historic Monument of Uruguay in 1984.
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Since 2021, UNESCO has counted Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker among its World Heritage Sites. The engineer's brick church in Estación Atlántida was inaugurated in 1960 and is known for its undulating walls and roof.
Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station
Near Piriápolis in Maldonado, this breeding station for native wildlife on Cerro Pan de Azúcar is surrounded by native vegetation and offers guided visits, including a native wildlife trail and a path up the hill.
When you get to Maldonado
Laguna del Diario
Close to Maldonado and Punta del Este, Laguna del Diario is a lagoon where the first settlement of Maldonado was built in 1755, before the town moved to its present site in 1757.
Museum of the Sea
Opened in 1996 in La Barra, Maldonado, the Museum of the Sea is a natural history museum of about 2,300 square meters split into four large halls.
García Uriburu Collection Museum
García Uriburu Collection Museum (Museo Colección García Uriburu) is a museum collection in the city of Maldonado, Uruguay.
More drives to Maldonado
- Salto to Maldonado
- Buenos Aires to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Santa Fe to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Paraná to Maldonado, Uruguay
- La Plata to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Concordia to Maldonado, Uruguay
More drives from Rosario
- Rosario, Argentina to La Plata
- Rosario, Argentina to Berisso
- Rosario, Argentina to Magdalena
- Rosario, Argentina to Chascomús
- Rosario, Argentina to Cariló
- Rosario, Argentina to Villa Gesell
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Rosario, Argentina to Maldonado, Uruguay?
About 9 h 31 min of driving without stops, over 445 miles.
How far is Maldonado, Uruguay from Rosario, Argentina by car?
About 445 miles (716 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 Rosario to Maldonado drive cross the border?
At about mile 185, from Argentina into Uruguay, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Rosario into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from Rosario, Argentina to Maldonado, Uruguay?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Rosario to Maldonado use?
In order: RN174, RP11, RN12, RP16, RN136 and I-B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Rosario to Maldonado?
Closest to the road: Balneario La Florida (beach, mile 6, 0.5 mi from the route); Abadía del Niño Dios (monastery, mile 45, 0.6 mi from the route); Cathedral of Mercedes (cathedral, mile 202, 0.7 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.