The Wayro route from Surprise to Hermosillo is 378 miles (609 km), about 6 h 23 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 205 on this route, near the Nogales port of entry.
| Distance | 378 mi (609 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 23 min |
| Main roads, in order | US-60 → AZ 101 Loop → I-10 → I-19 → MEX-15D → MEX-15 |
| Border crossing | about mile 205 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 15.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Hermosillo
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Hermosillo is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed: Hermosillo 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 Surprise to Hermosillo is like
I-10 (125 mi) and MEX-15D (121 mi) carry about 65% of the 378 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 205 miles; after the border at Nogales you have about 173 miles left in Mexico. The Mexican leg uses MEX-15D, a toll highway (cuota). Of the 7 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Surprise to Hermosillo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Arizona |
| US-60 | 1–5 | 4 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 5–6 | 1 | Arizona |
| AZ 101 Loop | 6–14 | 8 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 14–16 | 2 | Arizona |
| I-10 | 16–141 | 125 | Arizona |
| I-19 | 141–201 | 60 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 201–204 | 3 | Arizona |
| MEX-15D | 204–213 | 9 | Arizona, Sonora |
| MEX-15 | 213–256 | 43 | Sonora |
| MEX-15D | 256–368 | 112 | Sonora |
| local roads | 368–378 | 10 | Sonora |
- Mile 205 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
Stops between Surprise and Hermosillo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Arizona State Capitol (mile 25), Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 140), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 186), Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas (mile 195)
- Nature and outdoors: Picacho Peak State Park (mile 101), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 186)
- Museums and history: Arizona State Capitol (mile 25), Arizona State University Art Museum (mile 35), Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (mile 73), Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 140), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 186), Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas (mile 195)
Arizona State Capitol
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.
Arizona State University Art Museum
Housed in Antoine Predock's Nelson Fine Arts Center, opened in 1989 on ASU's Tempe campus, the museum fills three floors with exhibitions drawn from a collection begun in 1950.
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.
Picacho Peak State Park
Between Tucson and Casa Grande off I-10, the park surrounds 1,500-foot Picacho Peak, site of the 1862 Battle of Picacho Pass. Expect hiking trails, a campground, and spring displays of Mexican gold poppies.
Cathedral of Saint Augustine
Mother church of the Diocese of Tucson, this downtown cathedral wears a 1928 cast-stone façade inspired by the Cathedral of Querétaro, Mexico, decorated with yucca and saguaro blossoms and a depiction of Mission San Xavier del Bac.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
An adobe mission church anchors this park in the Santa Cruz River valley, where O'odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries. Tour the mission grounds and visitor center, then walk the Anza Trail along the river.
Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas
Part of Tumacácori National Historical Park, these adobe church ruins date to a Pima settlement established in 1756 and abandoned in 1786 after Apache raids. The site can only be visited on a reserved ranger-led tour.
When you get to Hermosillo
Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora, spreads across the Sonoran Desert on Federal Highway 15. The rocky Cerro de la Campana rises right beside downtown, and stone quarried from it built the 1908 state penitentiary that now holds the regional history museum. The cathedral and Plaza Zaragoza anchor the old center, a short walk from the Government Palace.
- Museo Regional de Sonora: INAH runs this museum inside the old state penitentiary, built of Cerro de la Campana stone in 1908 and used as a prison until 1979. source
- Cerro de la Campana: The city's landmark hill gives a panoramic view over Hermosillo, and its phonolite rocks ring like a bell when struck, which gave it its name. source
- Catedral de la Asunción: Dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, the cathedral on Plaza Zaragoza blends Baroque and neo-Gothic elements in an eclectic facade. source
Hermosillo Cathedral
Consecrated in 1908, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption pairs an eclectic facade of Baroque and neo-Gothic elements with a neoclassical interior; its dome was finished in 1963. A small 18th-century chapel once stood here.
More drives to Hermosillo
- Payson, AZ to Hermosillo
- Show Low, AZ to Hermosillo
- Coolidge, AZ to Hermosillo
- San Diego, CA to Hermosillo
- Apache Junction, AZ to Hermosillo
- Williams, AZ to Hermosillo
From Surprise to other places in Mexico
- Surprise, AZ to Bahía de los Ángeles
- Surprise, AZ to San Carlos
- Surprise, AZ to Sonoyta
- Surprise, AZ to Nogales
- Surprise, AZ to Mexicali
- Surprise, AZ to Magdalena de Kino
All routes to Hermosillo, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Hermosillo, Mexico from the U.S.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Surprise to Hermosillo?
About 6 h 23 min of driving without stops, over 378 miles.
How far is Hermosillo from Surprise by car?
About 378 miles (609 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 Surprise to Hermosillo drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 205 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the Nogales port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Surprise to Hermosillo?
No vehicle permit is needed. Hermosillo 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 Surprise to Hermosillo?
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 Surprise to Hermosillo use?
In order: US-60, AZ 101 Loop, I-10, I-19, MEX-15D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Surprise and Hermosillo?
Closest to the road: Cathedral of Saint Augustine (catholic cathedral, mile 140, 0.6 mi from the route); Tumacácori National Historical Park (National Historical Park, mile 186, 0.2 mi from the route); Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas (spanish mission, mile 195, 0.7 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.