By road, São José dos Campos and Itabira are about 405 miles (652 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 47 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 | 405 mi (652 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 47 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-060 → SP-123 → SP-046 → MG-173 → SP-042 → BR-459 → BR-381 → BR-040 → MG-434 → MG-129 → AMG-1210 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
The São José dos Campos–Itabira drive in a few lines
BR-381 (267 mi) and MG-173 (37 mi) carry about 75% of the 405 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect São José dos Campos and Itabira
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–5 | 5 | São Paulo |
| SP-060 | 5–21 | 16 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 21–22 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-123 | 22–42 | 20 | São Paulo |
| SP-046 | 42–47 | 5 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 47–53 | 6 | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| MG-173 | 53–58 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| SP-042 | 58–63 | 5 | São Paulo |
| MG-173 | 63–95 | 32 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-459 | 95–103 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 103–334 | 231 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 334–336 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 336–343 | 7 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 343–346 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 346–382 | 36 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-434 | 382–394 | 12 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-129 | 394–397 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| AMG-1210 | 397–403 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 403–405 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 52 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
- Mile 58 of this route: Minas Gerais → São Paulo (state line)
- Mile 63 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
Places worth a stop between São José dos Campos and Itabira
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Arqueológico, Histórico, Cultural e Ambiental de Conceição dos Ouros (mile 82), Cachoeira dos Pilões (mile 83), Museu de Ciências Morfológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (mile 341)
- Nature and outdoors: Mananciais de Campos do Jordão State Park (mile 43), Cachoeira das Três Cruzes (mile 77), Cachoeira dos Pilões (mile 83), Serra do Rola-Moça State Park (mile 333)
- Museums and history: Museu Arqueológico, Histórico, Cultural e Ambiental de Conceição dos Ouros (mile 82), Nair Mendes Moreira House of Culture (mile 329), Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha (mile 341), Museu de Ciências Morfológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (mile 341)
Mananciais de Campos do Jordão State Park
Mananciais de Campos do Jordão State Park is a protected state park in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Cachoeira das Três Cruzes
Cachoeira das Três Cruzes is a waterfall in the rural Três Cruzes area of Conceição dos Ouros, southern Minas Gerais, listed among the municipality's main natural attractions.
Museu Arqueológico, Histórico, Cultural e Ambiental de Conceição dos Ouros
Known locally as the Museu do Índio, this museum in Conceição dos Ouros, southern Minas Gerais, gathers archaeological, historical, cultural, and environmental material on human settlement in the area.
Cachoeira dos Pilões
Also called Prainha dos Pilões, Cachoeira dos Pilões is a waterfall in Conceição dos Ouros, southern Minas Gerais, recorded in the municipal heritage inventory as a natural landscape ensemble.
Nair Mendes Moreira House of Culture
Known locally as Casa do Registro, the Casa da Cultura Nair Mendes Moreira is an 18th-century house in Contagem. Local tradition links it to a Portuguese Crown post that counted goods and checked tax payments.
Serra do Rola-Moça State Park
On the edge of metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Serra do Rola-Moça State Park protects rugged ridges of the Espinhaço range where cerrado savanna meets Atlantic Forest.
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer in an organic modern style, the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi is a chapel in the Pampulha area of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
Museu de Ciências Morfológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
The Museum of Morphological Sciences at the Federal University of Minas Gerais' Institute of Biological Sciences is a science museum focused on people, health and science education for the public.
Arriving in Itabira
Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, Itabira
Known locally as Itabira Cathedral, Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the municipality of Itabira, Minas Gerais.
More drives to Itabira
- Sete Lagoas to Itabira
- Conselheiro Lafaiete to Itabira
- Barbacena to Itabira
- Juiz de Fora to Itabira
- Araxá to Itabira
- Petrópolis to Itabira
From São José dos Campos to other places in Brazil
- São José dos Campos to Bragança Paulista
- São José dos Campos to Jundiaí
- São José dos Campos to Itu
- São José dos Campos to Limeira
- São José dos Campos to São Carlos
- São José dos Campos to Botucatu
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from São José dos Campos to Itabira?
About 9 h 47 min of driving without stops, over 405 miles.
How far is Itabira from São José dos Campos by car?
About 405 miles (652 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 São José dos Campos to Itabira drive?
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 São José dos Campos to Itabira use?
In order: SP-060, SP-123, SP-046, MG-173, SP-042, BR-459, BR-381, BR-040, MG-434, MG-129 and AMG-1210. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between São José dos Campos and Itabira?
Closest to the road: Museu Arqueológico, Histórico, Cultural e Ambiental de Conceição dos Ouros (history museum, mile 82, 0.2 mi from the route); Cachoeira dos Pilões (waterfall, mile 83, 0.2 mi from the route); Museu de Ciências Morfológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (museum, mile 341, 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.