The Wayro route from Sierra Vista to Batopilas is 528 miles (850 km), about 13 h 41 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 53 on this route, near the Douglas port of entry.
| Distance | 528 mi (850 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 13 h 41 min |
| Main roads, in order | AZ 90 → US-80 Hist → AZ 80 → MEX-2 → MEX-10 → CHIH 15 → CHIH 11 → CHIH 25 → MEX-16 → CHIH 209 |
| Border crossing | about mile 53 of this route, Arizona → Sonora (near the Douglas, AZ port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Sonora (Level 3), Chihuahua (Level 3) |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Batopilas
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Batopilas is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required for a U.S.-registered vehicle this far into Mexico |
| 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 Douglas
The Raul Hector Castro port in Douglas sits directly across from Agua Prieta, Sonora. It inspects passenger vehicles, pedestrians and commercial trucks, and GSA plans to move truck traffic to a new stand-alone commercial port about 4.5 miles away.
What the drive from Sierra Vista to Batopilas is like
CHIH 25 (114 mi) and CHIH 15 (102 mi) carry about 41% of the 528 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 53 miles; after the border at Douglas you have about 475 miles left in Mexico. Of the 6 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Sierra Vista to Batopilas, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Arizona |
| AZ 90 | 2–17 | 15 | Arizona |
| US-80 Hist | 17–28 | 11 | Arizona |
| AZ 80 | 28–52 | 24 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 52–54 | 2 | Arizona, Sonora |
| MEX-2 | 54–152 | 98 | Sonora, Chihuahua |
| MEX-10 | 152–187 | 35 | Chihuahua |
| local roads | 187–191 | 4 | Chihuahua |
| connecting roads | 191–192 | 1 | Chihuahua |
| MEX-10 | 192–240 | 48 | Chihuahua |
| connecting roads | 240–243 | 3 | Chihuahua |
| CHIH 15 | 243–345 | 102 | Chihuahua |
| CHIH 11 | 345–372 | 27 | Chihuahua |
| CHIH 25 | 372–383 | 11 | Chihuahua |
| MEX-16 | 383–387 | 4 | Chihuahua |
| CHIH 25 | 387–490 | 103 | Chihuahua |
| CHIH 209 | 490–528 | 38 | Chihuahua |
- Mile 53 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
- Mile 91 of this route: Sonora → Chihuahua (state line)
Stops between Sierra Vista and Batopilas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church (mile 25), Bisbee Historic District (mile 26), Gadsden Hotel (mile 50), Douglas Historic District (mile 50)
- Nature and outdoors: Murray Springs Clovis Site (mile 7)
- Museums and history: Murray Springs Clovis Site (mile 7), St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church (mile 25), Bisbee Historic District (mile 26), Douglas Historic District (mile 50), Casas Grandes (mile 191)
Murray Springs Clovis Site
Clovis hunters butchered large Ice Age animals here 12,000 to 13,000 years ago. A one-third-mile self-guided interpretive trail in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, about six miles east of Sierra Vista, tells the story.
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church
Consecrated in 1917, this church designed by architect Albert C. Martin stands on Higgins Hill about 200 feet above Tombstone Canyon in Bisbee, built with California terra-cotta and fitted with stained glass windows from St. Louis.
Bisbee Historic District
Bisbee's historic district preserves the look of a prosperous early 20th-century copper-mining town. The Smithsonian-affiliated Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum tells its story, and the Queen Mine Tour takes visitors underground aboard an original mine train.
Gadsden Hotel
Opened in 1907 and rebuilt after a 1928 fire, this downtown Douglas hotel has a lobby with a white Italian marble staircase, gold-leafed marble columns, and a 42-foot stained-glass desert mural by Ralph Baker.
Douglas Historic District
Douglas grew up as a Phelps Dodge copper-smelting town, and this National Register district along G Avenue preserves its 1901-1935 commercial core, including the 1906 Gadsden Hotel and the terra-cotta-fronted Grand Theatre.
Casas Grandes
Paquimé, the city at Casas Grandes, thrived as a trading hub between Mesoamerica and the north; its multistory adobe ruins with T-shaped doorways are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Museo de las Culturas del Norte displays finds in stone, shell, and clay.
When you get to Batopilas
Deep in the Copper Canyon of Chihuahua's Sierra Tarahumara, Batopilas takes its name from a Tarahumara word for a boxed-in river. Silver found here in 1708 made it a rich mining town, and it became the second place in Mexico, after Mexico City, to get electricity. A Pueblo Mágico since 2012, it is about three hours by road from Creel.
- Misión de Satevó: About 8 km (5 miles) from town, this mission dedicated to the Santo Ángel Custodio was built by the Jesuits in 1760. source
- Hacienda San Miguel: The old hacienda is one of the landmarks left from Batopilas's silver boom, listed among the town's main attractions. source
- Templo de la Virgen del Carmen: The town's church is the focus of the Virgen del Carmen festival held each July. source
More drives to Batopilas
- Marathon, TX to Batopilas
- El Paso, TX to Batopilas
- Deming, NM to Batopilas
- Marfa, TX to Batopilas
- Bisbee, AZ to Batopilas
- Alpine, TX to Batopilas
From Sierra Vista to other places in Mexico
- Sierra Vista, AZ to Tijuana
- Sierra Vista, AZ to Mulegé
- Sierra Vista, AZ to El Fuerte
- Sierra Vista, AZ to Cananea
- Sierra Vista, AZ to Guaymas
- Sierra Vista, AZ to Bahía de los Ángeles
All routes to Batopilas, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Batopilas, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Sierra Vista to Batopilas?
About 13 h 41 min of driving without stops, over 528 miles.
How far is Batopilas from Sierra Vista by car?
About 528 miles (850 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 Sierra Vista to Batopilas drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 53 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the Douglas port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Sierra Vista to Batopilas?
Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car this far into Mexico. 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 Sierra Vista to Batopilas?
The U.S. State Department rates Sonora Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Chihuahua Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Sierra Vista to Batopilas use?
In order: AZ 90, US-80 Hist, AZ 80, MEX-2, MEX-10, CHIH 15, CHIH 11, CHIH 25, MEX-16 and CHIH 209. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Sierra Vista and Batopilas?
Closest to the road: St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church (catholic church building, mile 25, 0.2 mi from the route); Bisbee Historic District (historic district, mile 26, 0.1 mi from the route); Gadsden Hotel (hotel, mile 50, 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.