The Wayro route from San Antonio to Ciudad Juárez is 550 miles (885 km), about 8 h 38 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 541 on this route, near the Ysleta port of entry.
| Distance | 550 mi (885 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 38 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-10 |
| Border crossing | about mile 541 of this route, Texas → Chihuahua (near the Ysleta, TX port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Chihuahua (Level 3) |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Ciudad Juárez
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Not needed if you stay within 12 miles (20 km) of the border for 6 days or less; required for longer stays or if you travel farther in |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed inside the border zone; required if you drive farther into Mexico |
| Mexican auto insurance | Required 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.
Crossing at Ysleta
The Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge crosses the Rio Grande between El Paso's Lower Valley and the eastern side of Ciudad Juárez. It carries passenger vehicles, pedestrians and commercial trucks, with a northbound SENTRI lane for cars and a FAST lane for trucks.
What the drive from San Antonio to Ciudad Juárez is like
I-10 (535 mi) carries about 97% of the 550 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Texas for about 541 miles; after the border at Ysleta you have about 9 miles left in Mexico. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from San Antonio to Ciudad Juárez, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Texas |
| I-10 | 2–537 | 535 | Texas |
| connecting roads | 537–541 | 4 | Texas |
| local roads | 541–550 | 9 | Chihuahua |
- Mile 541 of this route: Texas → Chihuahua (international border)
Stops between San Antonio and Ciudad Juárez
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Denman Estate Park (mile 9), Six Flags Fiesta Texas (mile 16)
- Nature and outdoors: Denman Estate Park (mile 9), Cascade Caverns (mile 27), Kerrville-Schreiner Park (mile 63), South Llano River State Park (mile 114), Caverns of Sonora (mile 181), Balmorhea State Park (mile 367)
- Museums and history: Socorro Mission (mile 540), Ysleta Mission (mile 541)
- With kids: Six Flags Fiesta Texas (mile 16)
Denman Estate Park
Run by the city, Denman Estate Park is a public park located on the northwest side of San Antonio, Texas.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
This San Antonio theme park mixes thrill coasters and family rides, including the Werewolf Gorge launch coaster, and includes the Hurricane Harbor water park with a Texas-shaped wave pool.
Cascade Caverns
Near Boerne, guided tours lead into a cave about 230 feet deep, with stalactites, draperies and columns plus living residents like Cascade salamanders. Above ground there's camping and 1.5 miles of nature trails.
Kerrville-Schreiner Park
This 517-acre city park on the Guadalupe River in Kerrville offers RV sites and mini-cabins, trails, birding, fishing piers and boat ramps for time on the water.
South Llano River State Park
Near Junction, this Hill Country park fronts two miles of the spring-fed South Llano River, popular for tubing, kayaking, and swimming. More than 22 miles of trails, four bird blinds, and a winter turkey roost add reasons to linger.
Caverns of Sonora
Off Interstate 10 about 15 miles southwest of Sonora, this privately owned show cave offers guided tours past flowstone, the Crystal Palace, and Halo Lake, a pool ringed with calcite crystals. Gemstone panning, hiking trails, and camping are on site.
Balmorhea State Park
San Solomon Springs feed the 1.3-acre pool here, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and up to 25 feet deep. Swimmers and scuba divers share the clear water, while restored desert wetlands shelter endangered fish.
Socorro Mission
Rooted in a Franciscan mission founded for Piro, Tano, and Jémez people after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, the present adobe church dates to about 1840. Carved, painted beams from the older church still hold up the roof, and it remains an active parish.
Ysleta Mission
Tigua people and Spanish colonists retreating after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt founded this El Paso mission in 1682. Still an active church, it has a silver-domed bell tower and a neoclassical interior with Native American motifs.
When you get to Ciudad Juárez
On the Rio Grande opposite El Paso, Ciudad Juárez grew up around a Franciscan mission founded in 1659 on the old route of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. The city also played a real part in the Mexican Revolution: its former customs house served as Francisco Madero's provisional offices in 1911 and later as Pancho Villa's headquarters.
- Mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Founded in 1659 by Fray García de San Francisco, the mission is the city's oldest building and stands beside the cathedral built in 1941. source
- Museo de la Revolución en la Frontera: Housed in the 1889 customs house where Porfirio Díaz and William Howard Taft met in 1909, the INAH museum tells the border's role in the Revolution. source
- Parque Público Federal El Chamizal: This 237-acre park commemorates the peaceful settlement of the Chamizal boundary dispute and is a sister park to Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso. source
Chamizal National Memorial
Along the border in El Paso, this memorial honors the peaceful settlement of a century-long U.S.–Mexico boundary dispute. Stop for borderlands art in the Franklin G. Smith Gallery, walking paths, and ballet folklórico performances.
El Paso Museum of Art
Founded in 1959 and set in downtown El Paso, this art museum holds more than 7,000 works strong in American, European, and Mexican art, including Kress Collection paintings by Botticelli and Canaletto and a notable group of Mexican retablos.
El Paso Zoo
Run by the City of El Paso, this 35-acre zoo groups its animals into four regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Chihuahuan Desert. It makes an easy family break on a drive through the borderland.
More drives to Ciudad Juárez
- Roswell, NM to Ciudad Juárez
- Fountain Hills, AZ to Ciudad Juárez
- Del Rio, TX to Ciudad Juárez
- Red River, NM to Ciudad Juárez
- San Angelo, TX to Ciudad Juárez
- Santa Fe, NM to Ciudad Juárez
From San Antonio to other places in Mexico
- San Antonio, TX to Ojinaga
- San Antonio, TX to Reynosa
- San Antonio, TX to Real de Catorce
- San Antonio, TX to Ciudad Victoria
- San Antonio, TX to Linares
- San Antonio, TX to Parras de la Fuente
All routes to Ciudad Juárez, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from San Antonio to Ciudad Juárez?
About 8 h 38 min of driving without stops, over 550 miles.
How far is Ciudad Juárez from San Antonio by car?
About 550 miles (885 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 San Antonio to Ciudad Juárez drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 541 of this route, from Texas into Chihuahua, near the Ysleta port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from San Antonio to Ciudad Juárez?
Not needed inside the border zone; required if you drive farther into Mexico. You also need Mexican auto insurance and a passport book or card.
Is it safe to drive from San Antonio to Ciudad Juárez?
The U.S. State Department rates Chihuahua Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between San Antonio and Ciudad Juárez?
Closest to the road: Denman Estate Park (park, mile 9, 0.5 mi from the route); Six Flags Fiesta Texas (amusement park, mile 16, 0.6 mi from the route); Ysleta Mission (spanish mission, mile 541, 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 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.