The Wayro route from Show Low to San Felipe is 511 miles (822 km), about 10 h 31 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 370 on this route, near the San Luis port of entry.
What the State Department tells travelers on this route:
- Baja California: “Travelers should remain on main highways and avoid remote locations.”
| Distance | 511 mi (822 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 31 min |
| Main roads, in order | US-60 → AZ 79 → AZ 287 → AZ 87 → I-10 → I-8 → AZ 195 → SON 3 → BC 4 → BC 41 → MEX-5 |
| Border crossing | about mile 370 of this route, Arizona → Sonora (near the San Luis, AZ port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Sonora (Level 3), Baja California (Level 3) |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for San Felipe
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: San Felipe is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed: Baja California is in Mexico's hassle-free zone for U.S. vehicles |
| 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 San Luis
The San Luis port connects San Luis, Arizona, south of Yuma, with San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora. It handles passenger vehicles and heavy pedestrian traffic, and GSA calls it the second busiest non-commercial vehicle port in Arizona; trucks use the separate San Luis II crossing east of town.
What the drive from Show Low to San Felipe is like
I-8 (170 mi) and US-60 (125 mi) carry about 58% of the 511 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 370 miles; after the border at San Luis you have about 141 miles left in Mexico. Of the 8 stops listed below, 7 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Show Low to San Felipe, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US-60 | 0–125 | 125 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 125–126 | 1 | Arizona |
| AZ 79 | 126–141 | 15 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 141–142 | 1 | Arizona |
| AZ 287 | 142–150 | 8 | Arizona |
| AZ 87 | 150–156 | 6 | Arizona |
| local roads | 156–165 | 9 | Arizona |
| AZ 287 | 165–168 | 3 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 168–169 | 1 | Arizona |
| I-10 | 169–172 | 3 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 172–173 | 1 | Arizona |
| I-8 | 173–343 | 170 | Arizona |
| AZ 195 | 343–369 | 26 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 369–372 | 3 | Arizona, Sonora |
| SON 3 | 372–395 | 23 | Sonora |
| connecting roads | 395–396 | 1 | Baja California |
| BC 4 | 396–415 | 19 | Baja California |
| BC 41 | 415–420 | 5 | Baja California |
| MEX-5 | 420–511 | 91 | Baja California |
- Mile 370 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
- Mile 395 of this route: Sonora → Baja California (state line)
Stops between Show Low and San Felipe
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Besh-Ba-Gowah (mile 86), Globe Downtown Historic District (mile 87), Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church (mile 94), Boyce Thompson Arboretum (mile 114), McFarland State Historic Park (mile 142), Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (mile 151), Yuma Desert (mile 354)
- Nature and outdoors: Boyce Thompson Arboretum (mile 114), McFarland State Historic Park (mile 142), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 221), Yuma Desert (mile 354)
- Museums and history: Besh-Ba-Gowah (mile 86), Globe Downtown Historic District (mile 87), Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church (mile 94), Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (mile 151), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 221)
Besh-Ba-Gowah
About a mile southwest of Globe, partially reconstructed pueblo rooms built by the Salado people, who lived here from 1225 to 1450 CE, sit beside a museum and botanical gardens. The Apache name roughly means "place of metal."
Globe Downtown Historic District
Globe grew into Gila County's seat and a copper mining center, and its downtown district preserves buildings from 1876 to 1935. Look for the Gila County Courthouse, the 1910 St. John's Episcopal Church, and the 1927 post office and courthouse.
Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church
Designed by Henry O. Jaastad and dedicated in 1917, this Catholic church in the copper town of Miami served Mexican, Croatian, and Anglo-European mining families, on land donated by two local mining companies.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
Arizona's oldest and largest botanical garden sits near Superior, with trails through desert plantings from around the world, including the 13-acre Wallace Desert Garden, and an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area for birders.
McFarland State Historic Park
In downtown Florence, this state historic park preserves the old courthouse from Arizona's territorial era, now a visitor center and museum where you can step into the historic courtroom. Picnic areas and shelters are on site.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
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.
Sonoran Desert National Monument
Created in 2001, this BLM monument protects saguaro forests across the Maricopa, Sand Tank, and Table Top mountains. Traces of the Juan Bautista de Anza and Butterfield Overland trails cross it, and hikers, campers, and stargazers find three wilderness areas.
Yuma Desert
South of Yuma along the Mexican border, this low Sonoran Desert plain is a sweep of sand dunes and sandy soils, including the Yuma Dunes, where rare plants such as sandfood grow and flat-tailed horned lizards and fringe-toed lizards live.
When you get to San Felipe
Where the Baja desert runs straight into the warm Gulf of California, San Felipe is a fishing town about two hours south of Mexicali. It is known for sport fishing, dramatic low tides that pull the water far from shore, and seafood, especially the shrimp it celebrates with an annual festival.
- Valle de los Gigantes: South of town on the road to Puertecitos, this cactus reserve on Punta Estrella Ranch protects towering cardón cacti up to about 17 meters tall. source
- Sport fishing: Charters head into the Gulf of California from San Felipe, a town long known for sport fishing thanks to the abundance of marine species offshore. source
- Gulf beaches: The town's beaches are made for kayaking, paddleboarding and walking the wide flats exposed at low tide. source
More drives to San Felipe
- Safford, AZ to San Felipe
- Rancho Mirage, CA to San Felipe
- Coronado, CA to San Felipe
- Mesa, AZ to San Felipe
- Bisbee, AZ to San Felipe
- Casa Grande, AZ to San Felipe
From Show Low to other places in Mexico
- Show Low, AZ to Hermosillo
- Show Low, AZ to Mexicali
- Show Low, AZ to Tijuana
- Show Low, AZ to Nogales
- Show Low, AZ to San Luis Río Colorado
- Show Low, AZ to Ensenada
All routes to San Felipe, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to San Felipe, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Show Low to San Felipe?
About 10 h 31 min of driving without stops, over 511 miles.
How far is San Felipe from Show Low by car?
About 511 miles (822 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 Show Low to San Felipe drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 370 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the San Luis port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Show Low to San Felipe?
No vehicle permit is needed. Baja California is in Mexico's hassle-free zone for U.S. vehicles. You also need Mexican auto insurance and a passport book or card. An FMM entry permit is required too.
Is it safe to drive from Show Low to San Felipe?
The U.S. State Department rates Sonora Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Baja California Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Show Low to San Felipe use?
In order: US-60, AZ 79, AZ 287, AZ 87, I-10, I-8, AZ 195, SON 3, BC 4, BC 41 and MEX-5. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Show Low and San Felipe?
Closest to the road: Globe Downtown Historic District (historic district, mile 87, 0.2 mi from the route); Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church (church building, mile 94, 0.1 mi from the route); Boyce Thompson Arboretum (state park, mile 114, 0.4 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.