Plan on about 9 h 52 min of driving for the 464-mile (747 km) trip from Santa Fe to Minas, Uruguay, before any stops. You cross from Argentina into Uruguay at about mile 216, 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: “Traffic fatalities are high in Uruguay.”
| Total distance | 464 mi (747 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 52 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN168 → RN12 → RP39 → RP20 → RN136 |
| Border crossing | about mile 216, Argentina → Uruguay (the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge) |
| Regions on the route | Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Lavalleja |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The border on the way to Minas
The route crosses at about mile 216, 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.
What the drive from Santa Fe to Minas is like
RN12 (92 mi) and RP20 (55 mi) carry about 32% of the 464 miles. The first 216 miles are in Argentina; the last 248 are in Uruguay. It runs through 8 regions: Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Lavalleja. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Santa Fe to Minas: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Santa Fe |
| RN168 | 2–19 | 17 | Santa Fe, Entre Ríos |
| connecting roads | 19–20 | 1 | Entre Ríos |
| RN12 | 20–112 | 92 | Entre Ríos |
| RP39 | 112–138 | 26 | Entre Ríos |
| RP20 | 138–193 | 55 | Entre Ríos |
| RN136 | 193–213 | 20 | Entre Ríos |
| connecting roads | 213–216 | 3 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 216–312 | 96 | Río Negro, Soriano |
| connecting roads | 312–313 | 1 | Soriano |
| local roads | 313–349 | 36 | Colonia, San José |
| connecting roads | 349–352 | 3 | San José |
| local roads | 352–464 | 112 | San José, Canelones, Lavalleja |
- Mile 14 of this route: Santa Fe → Entre Ríos (region line)
- Mile 216 of this route: Entre Ríos → Río Negro (international border)
- Mile 231 of this route: Río Negro → Soriano (region line)
- Mile 313 of this route: Soriano → Colonia (region line)
- Mile 330 of this route: Colonia → San José (region line)
- Mile 374 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 439 of this route: Canelones → Lavalleja (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Santa Fe and Minas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Teatro Macció (mile 350), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 350), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 384)
- Museums and history: Paraná Cathedral (mile 16), Gualeguaychú Cathedral (mile 194), Alejandro Berro Paleontology Museum (mile 230), Calera Real del Dacá (mile 233), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 350), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 384), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 420)
Paraná Cathedral
Paraná Cathedral, formally Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, is the main Catholic church of Paraná in Entre Ríos Province. It faces the 1 de Mayo Square on San Francisco street, between Urquiza and 25 de Mayo.
Gualeguaychú Cathedral
St. Joseph's Cathedral, also called Gualeguaychú Cathedral, serves as the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gualeguaychú in Argentina.
Frigorífico Anglo del Uruguay
Liebig exported meat extract and corned beef from this spot on the Uruguay River at Fray Bentos starting in 1865. In 1924, the Anglo plant began shipping frozen meat from the same site.
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.
Calera Real del Dacá
On the eastern edge of Mercedes beside the Dacá stream, the ruins of the Calera Real lime works date to 1722 and are considered the region's first industrial site; recent works added visitor circuits, lighting and interpretive signs.
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.
Museo Departamental de San José
Set in central San José de Mayo, the Museo Departamental de San José is a history and fine arts museum that also runs a library, archives and cultural programs.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Construction of Canelones' Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe began in 1816; the church became a cathedral in 1961 and Uruguay's national shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2020.
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.
When you get to Minas
Cathedral of Minas
Minas's main Catholic church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception served as the seat of the Diocese of Minas from 1960 to 2020.
Teatro Lavalleja
Teatro Lavalleja is a theater complex in the city of Minas, in the Lavalleja department of Uruguay.
More drives to Minas
More drives from Santa Fe
- Santa Fe to San Nicolás de los Arroyos
- Santa Fe to Tigre
- Santa Fe to Adrogué
- Santa Fe to La Plata
- Santa Fe to Berisso
- Santa Fe to Magdalena
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Santa Fe to Minas, Uruguay?
About 9 h 52 min of driving without stops, over 464 miles.
What is the driving distance from Santa Fe to Minas, Uruguay?
About 464 miles (747 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 Santa Fe to Minas drive cross the border?
At about mile 216, from Argentina into Uruguay, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Santa Fe 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.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Santa Fe to Minas drive?
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 Santa Fe to Minas use?
In order: RN168, RN12, RP39, RP20 and RN136. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Santa Fe to Minas?
Closest to the road: Museo Departamental de San José (history museum, mile 350, 0.7 mi from the route); Teatro Macció (theater, mile 350, 0.8 mi from the route); Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 384, 0.1 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.