The Wayro route from Tehachapi to San Felipe is 421 miles (677 km), about 8 h 28 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 298 on this route, near the Calexico West 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 | 421 mi (677 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 28 min |
| Main roads, in order | CA-58 → US-395 → I-15 → I-215 → I-10 → CA-86 → US-99 Hist → CA-78 → CA-111 → MEX-5 |
| Border crossing | about mile 298 of this route, California → Baja California (near the Calexico West, CA port of entry) |
| Mexican states on the route | Baja California (Level 3) |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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 Calexico West
Calexico West sits in downtown Calexico, directly across from Mexicali, and GSA describes it as the main border crossing linking the Imperial Valley to Baja California. It handles passenger vehicles and pedestrians and is in the middle of a multi-phase federal modernization.
Sources: [1]
What the drive from Tehachapi to San Felipe is like
MEX-5 (125 mi) and I-10 (72 mi) carry about 47% of the 421 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through California for about 298 miles; after the border at Calexico West you have about 123 miles left in Mexico. None of the 7 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Tehachapi to San Felipe, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | California |
| CA-58 | 2–56 | 54 | California |
| connecting roads | 56–57 | 1 | California |
| US-395 | 57–98 | 41 | California |
| connecting roads | 98–99 | 1 | California |
| I-15 | 99–114 | 15 | California |
| I-215 | 114–129 | 15 | California |
| I-10 | 129–201 | 72 | California |
| CA-86 | 201–234 | 33 | California |
| US-99 Hist | 234–268 | 34 | California |
| CA-78 | 268–274 | 6 | California |
| CA-111 | 274–294 | 20 | California |
| connecting roads | 294–296 | 2 | California |
| MEX-5 | 296–421 | 125 | California, Baja California |
- Mile 298 of this route: California → Baja California (international border)
Stops between Tehachapi and San Felipe
- Nature and outdoors: Bonita Falls (mile 112), Devil Canyon (mile 119), Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument (mile 167)
- Museums and history: Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral (mile 124), Gilman Ranch (mile 155), Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument (mile 167), Sand to Snow National Monument (mile 168)
Bonita Falls
Off Lytle Creek Road in the San Bernardino National Forest, this waterfall cascades year-round; reaching the lower fall and its pool means a moderately hard walk uphill over river rock, watching for poison oak.
Devil Canyon
This steep canyon on the south side of Paivia Peak drains the San Bernardino Mountains; at its mouth, about five miles north of San Bernardino, the State Water Project's Devil Canyon Powerplant generates electricity from water piped down from Silverwood Lake.
Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral
Dedicated in 1928 as Holy Rosary Church, this San Bernardino parish became Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, seat of the newly formed Diocese of San Bernardino, in 1978.
Gilman Ranch
Run by Riverside County Parks, this 100-acre ranch in Banning grew from an adobe hut into a stage stop and ranch house. Its wagon museum displays stagecoaches and buggies, and a 1.5-mile trail looks over Banning Pass.
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
Rising from the Coachella Valley toward alpine peaks, this monument holds fan palm oases, bighorn sheep habitat, wilderness areas, and part of the Pacific Crest Trail. Its visitor center sits on Highway 74 in Palm Desert.
Sand to Snow National Monument
Established in 2016, this monument climbs from the Sonoran Desert floor to San Gorgonio Mountain, the highest peak in California south of the Sierra Nevada, and carries 30 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Cerro Prieto
About 22 miles (35 km) south of Mexicali, this small rhyodacite lava dome rises above the desert floor and marks the surface of the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Field, one of Mexico's major geothermal resources.
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 Tehachapi to other places in Mexico
- Tehachapi, CA to San Luis Río Colorado
- Tehachapi, CA to Puerto Peñasco
- Tehachapi, CA to San Quintín
- Tehachapi, CA to Ensenada
- Tehachapi, CA to Tijuana
- Tehachapi, CA to Mexicali
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 Tehachapi to San Felipe?
About 8 h 28 min of driving without stops, over 421 miles.
How far is San Felipe from Tehachapi by car?
About 421 miles (677 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 Tehachapi to San Felipe drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 298 of this route, from California into Baja California, near the Calexico West port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Tehachapi 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 Tehachapi to San Felipe?
The U.S. State Department rates Baja California Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Tehachapi to San Felipe use?
In order: CA-58, US-395, I-15, I-215, I-10, CA-86, US-99 Hist, CA-78, CA-111 and MEX-5. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Tehachapi and San Felipe?
Closest to the road: Devil Canyon (canyon, mile 119, 1 mi from the route); Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral (catholic cathedral, mile 124, 1 mi from the route); Gilman Ranch (museum, mile 155, 1 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.