The Wayro route from São Leopoldo to Durazno, Uruguay is 519 miles (835 km), about 11 h 7 min of driving without stops. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 321.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 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.”
- Uruguay: “If you are in an accident involving injury, stay in place until a police officer arrives.”
| Distance | 519 mi (835 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 7 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-116 → BR-290 → BR-158 |
| Border crossing | about mile 321, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
Border crossing: what to bring for Uruguay
The route crosses at about mile 321, from Rio Grande do Sul into Rivera. 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 Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| 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, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
What the drive from São Leopoldo to Durazno is like
BR-290 (230 mi) and BR-158 (64 mi) carry about 57% of the 519 miles. The first 321 miles are in Brazil; the last 198 are in Uruguay. It runs through 4 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno. Of the 7 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from São Leopoldo to Durazno, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-116 | 1–27 | 26 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-290 | 27–257 | 230 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-158 | 257–321 | 64 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 321–322 | 1 | Rivera |
| local roads | 322–519 | 197 | Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno |
- Mile 321 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Rivera (international border)
- Mile 370 of this route: Rivera → Tacuarembó (region line)
- Mile 480 of this route: Tacuarembó → Durazno (region line)
Places worth a stop between São Leopoldo and Durazno
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Arquivo Histórico e Museu de Canoas (mile 12), Museu do Carvão (mile 52), Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (mile 388), Museo de Artes Visuales de Tacuarembó (mile 390)
- Nature and outdoors: Jacuí Delta State Park (mile 24), Chorro de Agua Fría (mile 416)
- Museums and history: Arquivo Histórico e Museu de Canoas (mile 12), Museu de Comunicação Social Hipólito José da Costa (mile 19), Museu do Carvão (mile 52), Museo de Artes Visuales de Tacuarembó (mile 390)
- With kids: Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (mile 388)
Arquivo Histórico e Museu de Canoas
Canoas's history museum and archive keeps photos, newspapers, maps, documents, audiovisual material and objects that tell the story of the city in Rio Grande do Sul.
Museu de Comunicação Social Hipólito José da Costa
Run by the Rio Grande do Sul state culture department, the Museu da Comunicação Hipólito José da Costa is a museum on Rua dos Andradas in Porto Alegre.
Jacuí Delta State Park
Created in 1976, Jacuí Delta State Park (Parque Estadual Delta do Jacuí) protects the delta between Porto Alegre, Canoas, Eldorado do Sul and nearby towns, where fishers from Ilha da Pintada still practice traditional fishing.
Museu do Carvão
In the town of Arroio dos Ratos, Rio Grande do Sul, the Museu do Carvão is a history museum set on Rua Professora Silvana Narvaez.
Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba
Reachable from Route 5 at kilometer 390, the Mauricio López Lomba reserve is a wildlife reserve in the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Museo de Artes Visuales de Tacuarembó
The Museum of Visual Arts of Tacuarembó (Museo de Artes Visuales) is a museum in the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Chorro de Agua Fría
In Uruguay's Tacuarembó Department, Chorro de Agua Fría is a waterfall that drops roughly 14 meters, the highest uninterrupted fall in the country.
When you get to Durazno
Casa de Rivera, Durazno
Facing Plaza Independencia in Durazno, the Casa de Fructuoso Rivera (Casa de Rivera) is one of the town's main heritage sites and now houses the department's historical museum.
More drives to Durazno
- Montevideo to Durazno
- Maldonado to Durazno
- Artigas to Durazno
- Buenos Aires to Durazno, Uruguay
- Rosario, Argentina to Durazno, Uruguay
- Mar del Plata to Durazno, Uruguay
More drives from São Leopoldo
- São Leopoldo to Paranaguá
- São Leopoldo to Jaraguá do Sul
- São Leopoldo to Camboriú
- São Leopoldo to Tubarão
- São Leopoldo to Lages
- São Leopoldo to Bagé
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from São Leopoldo to Durazno, Uruguay?
About 11 h 7 min of driving without stops, over 519 miles.
How far is Durazno, Uruguay from São Leopoldo by car?
About 519 miles (835 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 São Leopoldo to Durazno drive cross the border?
At about mile 321, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from São Leopoldo 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 São Leopoldo to Durazno, Uruguay?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from São Leopoldo to Durazno use?
In order: BR-116, BR-290 and BR-158. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between São Leopoldo and Durazno?
Closest to the road: Arquivo Histórico e Museu de Canoas (museum, mile 12, 0.2 mi from the route); Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (zoo, mile 388, 0.1 mi from the route); Museo de Artes Visuales de Tacuarembó (museum, mile 390, 0.6 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.