The Wayro route from Silver City to Bahía de Kino is 465 miles (749 km), about 8 h 56 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 227 on this route, near the Nogales port of entry.
| Distance | 465 mi (749 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 56 min |
| Main roads, in order | NM 90 → I-10 → AZ 90 → AZ 82 → MEX-15 → MEX-15D → SON 80 → SON 100 |
| Border crossing | about mile 227 of this route, Arizona → Sonora (near the Nogales, AZ port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Sonora (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 5 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Bahía de Kino
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Bahía de Kino is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed: Bahía de Kino is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit |
| 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. Sonora free zone: Explore Sonora.
Crossing at Nogales
Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, share several crossings: DeConcini downtown is the main gateway for visitors and daily crossers, Morley Gate nearby serves pedestrians, and Mariposa on the west side handles commercial trucks. The city is also home to Arizona's only rail crossing.
What the drive from Silver City to Bahía de Kino is like
MEX-15D (110 mi) and I-10 (109 mi) carry about 47% of the 465 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through New Mexico, Arizona for about 227 miles; after the border at Nogales you have about 238 miles left in Mexico. The Mexican leg uses MEX-15D, a toll highway (cuota). Of the 5 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Silver City to Bahía de Kino, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | New Mexico |
| NM 90 | 1–42 | 41 | New Mexico |
| connecting roads | 42–46 | 4 | New Mexico |
| I-10 | 46–155 | 109 | New Mexico, Arizona |
| connecting roads | 155–156 | 1 | Arizona |
| AZ 90 | 156–175 | 19 | Arizona |
| AZ 82 | 175–224 | 49 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 224–226 | 2 | Arizona |
| MEX-15 | 226–278 | 52 | Arizona, Sonora |
| MEX-15D | 278–388 | 110 | Sonora |
| SON 80 | 388–393 | 5 | Sonora |
| local roads | 393–405 | 12 | Sonora |
| SON 100 | 405–465 | 60 | Sonora |
- Mile 67 of this route: New Mexico → Arizona (state line)
- Mile 227 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
Stops between Silver City and Bahía de Kino
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Library (mile 44), The Thing (mile 135), Texas Canyon (mile 138), Kartchner Caverns State Park (mile 165)
- Nature and outdoors: Texas Canyon (mile 138), Kartchner Caverns State Park (mile 165), Patagonia Lake State Park (mile 212)
- Museums and history: Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Library (mile 44)
Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Library
Built in 1936–37 as a Works Progress Administration project, this single-story adobe library in Lordsburg keeps its original floor plan and stained glass windows, and it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Thing
Billboards along I-10 between El Paso and Tucson build up to this bright yellow stop about an hour east of Tucson, where a small museum shows off a collection of bizarre objects and the gift shop sells odd souvenirs.
Texas Canyon
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.
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Discovered in 1974 in the Whetstone Mountains, this living limestone cave is seen on guided tours past formations like Kubla Khan, a 58-foot column, and a 21-foot soda straw; above ground, the park has trails and camping.
Patagonia Lake State Park
Tucked into the rolling hills of southeastern Arizona, this lake park draws visitors for fishing, water skiing, camping and a creek trail where birders watch for herons, vermilion flycatchers and hummingbirds.
When you get to Bahía de Kino
Bahía de Kino is a fishing and beach town on Sonora's Sea of Cortez coast, roughly 90 minutes west of Hermosillo, named for the Jesuit missionary Eusebio Kino. Offshore lies Isla Tiburón, which Mexico's Culture Ministry calls the country's largest island; it is communally owned by the Seri (Comcaac) people and belongs to the Gulf of California islands UNESCO inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2005.
- Isla Tiburón: The big island across the channel is communally owned by the Seri people, who regard it as sacred, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage property. source
- Museo de los Seris: The small museum on the plaza in Kino Nuevo explains the history of the Seri, once seminomadic hunter-gatherers of this coast. source
- Kino Nuevo beachfront: More than 15 km of shoreline here has calm water suited to swimming and kayaking, with Kino Nuevo's strip of houses and trailer parks along it. source
More drives to Bahía de Kino
- Jerome, AZ to Bahía de Kino
- Clarkdale, AZ to Bahía de Kino
- Phoenix, AZ to Bahía de Kino
- Casa Grande, AZ to Bahía de Kino
- El Centro, CA to Bahía de Kino
- Coolidge, AZ to Bahía de Kino
From Silver City to other places in Mexico
- Silver City, NM to Mexicali
- Silver City, NM to Nuevo Casas Grandes
- Silver City, NM to Creel
- Silver City, NM to Magdalena de Kino
- Silver City, NM to Cuauhtémoc
- Silver City, NM to Cananea
All routes to Bahía de Kino, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Bahía de Kino, Mexico from the U.S.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Silver City to Bahía de Kino?
About 8 h 56 min of driving without stops, over 465 miles.
How far is Bahía de Kino from Silver City by car?
About 465 miles (749 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 Silver City to Bahía de Kino drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 227 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the Nogales port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Silver City to Bahía de Kino?
No vehicle permit is needed. Bahía de Kino is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit. 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 Silver City to Bahía de Kino?
The U.S. State Department rates Sonora Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Silver City to Bahía de Kino use?
In order: NM 90, I-10, AZ 90, AZ 82, MEX-15, MEX-15D, SON 80 and SON 100. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Silver City and Bahía de Kino?
Closest to the road: The Thing (roadside attraction, mile 135, 0.2 mi from the route); Texas Canyon (canyon, mile 138, 0.1 mi from the route); Kartchner Caverns State Park (state park, mile 165, 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.