Sedona to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico Road Trip: Route & Stops

By admin, 30 September, 2026

The Wayro route from Sedona to Ciudad Juárez is 549 miles (883 km), about 8 h 45 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 542 on this route, near the El Paso port of entry.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Chihuahua — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Chihuahua is the Mexican state that contains Ciudad Juárez. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Montezuma Castle National MonumentAgua Fria National MonumentArizona State CapitolCasa Grande Ruins National MonumentPima Air & Space MuseumTexas CanyonU.S.–Mexico borderSedonaCiudad Juárez
Route from Sedona to Ciudad Juárez with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots) and the approximate U.S.–Mexico border crossing (red square).
Distance549 mi (883 km)
Driving time, no stops8 h 45 min
Main roads, in orderAZ 179 → I-17 → I-10 → US-85
Border crossingabout mile 542 of this route, Texas → Chihuahua (near the El Paso, TX port of entry)
Mexican states on the routeChihuahua (Level 3)
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 21.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Ciudad Juárez

PassportPassport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land
FMM entry permitNot 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 insuranceRequired 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 El Paso

El Paso and Ciudad Juárez are joined by several Rio Grande bridges, including Paso del Norte downtown for pedestrians and northbound cars, Stanton Street with a northbound SENTRI lane, and the Bridge of the Americas for passenger vehicles and trucks. Paso del Norte also has Ready Lanes.

Sources: [1]

What the drive from Sedona to Ciudad Juárez is like

I-10 (405 mi) and I-17 (117 mi) carry about 95% of the 549 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas for about 542 miles; after the border at El Paso you have about 7 miles left in Mexico. Of the 6 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Sedona to Ciudad Juárez, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Arizona
AZ 1791–1514Arizona
I-1715–132117Arizona
I-10132–537405Arizona, New Mexico, Texas
US-85537–5458Texas, Chihuahua
local roads545–5494Chihuahua
  • Mile 362 of this route: Arizona → New Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 526 of this route: New Mexico → Texas (state line)
  • Mile 542 of this route: Texas → Chihuahua (international border)

Stops between Sedona and Ciudad Juárez

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Montezuma Castle National Monument (mile 23), Arizona State Capitol (mile 114), Texas Canyon (mile 290)
  • Nature and outdoors: Texas Canyon (mile 290)
  • Museums and history: Montezuma Castle National Monument (mile 23), Agua Fria National Monument (mile 62), Arizona State Capitol (mile 114), Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (mile 162), Pima Air & Space Museum (mile 238)

Montezuma Castle National Monument

Mile 23 · National monument · 0.6 mi from the route

Tucked into an alcove about 90 feet up a limestone cliff, this 20-room Sinagua dwelling is viewed from below. Established in 1906, the monument also includes Montezuma Well, a separate unit that once supplied the Sinagua with water.

Agua Fria National Monument

Mile 62 · National monument · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

About 40 miles north of Phoenix off I-17, this BLM monument protects mesa-top pueblo ruins, petroglyph panels, and the Agua Fria River canyon, with hiking, birding, and primitive camping; much of Bloody Basin Road needs high clearance.

Arizona State Capitol

Mile 114 · History museum · 0.7 mi from the route

Built from 1898 to 1901 and topped by a copper dome and a Winged Victory weathervane, Arizona's historic capitol now houses the Arizona Capitol Museum, including USS Arizona artifacts. Monuments and memorials fill Wesley Bolin Plaza outside.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Mile 162 · National monument · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Standing for more than 600 years, the Great House is the centerpiece of this preserved Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community near Coolidge. Visitors can also see the adobe walls of Compound A and a visitor center museum.

Pima Air & Space Museum

Mile 238 · Aviation museum · 1 mi from the route

Open since 1976, Tucson's aerospace museum spreads across 80 acres with about 400 historic aircraft, ranging from a Wright Flyer to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, shown outdoors and in six indoor exhibit hangars.

Texas Canyon

Mile 290 · Canyon · 0.2 mi from the route

Just off Interstate 10 between Benson and Willcox, giant granite boulders scatter across high-desert grassland. The Amerind Foundation's Texas Canyon Nature Preserve offers about 6 miles of gentle trails past balanced rocks and spires.

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

National Memorial of the United States · in Ciudad Juárez

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

Art museum · in Ciudad Juárez

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.

Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick

Catholic cathedral · in Ciudad Juárez

The seat of the Diocese of El Paso, this cathedral dedicated in 1917 blends Byzantine and Romanesque styles and features a 27-foot marble altar, Emil Frei stained-glass windows, and a centuries-old painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Zacatecas.

More drives to Ciudad Juárez

From Sedona to other places in Mexico

All routes to Ciudad Juárez, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico from the U.S.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Sedona to Ciudad Juárez?

About 8 h 45 min of driving without stops, over 549 miles.

How far is Ciudad Juárez from Sedona by car?

About 549 miles (883 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 Sedona to Ciudad Juárez drive cross into Mexico?

At about mile 542 of this route, from Texas into Chihuahua, near the El Paso port of entry.

Do I need a permit to drive my car from Sedona 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 Sedona 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 roads does the drive from Sedona to Ciudad Juárez use?

In order: AZ 179, I-17, I-10 and US-85. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Sedona and Ciudad Juárez?

Closest to the road: Montezuma Castle National Monument (National monument, mile 23, 0.6 mi from the route); Arizona State Capitol (history museum, mile 114, 0.7 mi from the route); Texas Canyon (canyon, mile 290, 0.2 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.