The Wayro route from Tempe to Bahía de los Ángeles is 558 miles (898 km), about 12 h 37 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 216 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 | 558 mi (898 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 12 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | AZ 202 Loop → I-10 → AZ 85 → US-80 Hist → I-8 → AZ 195 → SON 3 → BC 4 → BC 41 → MEX-5 → MEX-1 |
| Border crossing | about mile 216 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 22.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Bahía de los Ángeles
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Bahía de los Ángeles 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 Tempe to Bahía de los Ángeles is like
MEX-5 (220 mi) and I-8 (107 mi) carry about 59% of the 558 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 216 miles; after the border at San Luis you have about 342 miles left in Mexico. Of the 7 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tempe to Bahía de los Ángeles, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Arizona |
| AZ 202 Loop | 2–10 | 8 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 10–11 | 1 | Arizona |
| I-10 | 11–44 | 33 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 44–45 | 1 | Arizona |
| AZ 85 | 45–49 | 4 | Arizona |
| US-80 Hist | 49–78 | 29 | Arizona |
| AZ 85 | 78–81 | 3 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 81–82 | 1 | Arizona |
| I-8 | 82–189 | 107 | Arizona |
| AZ 195 | 189–215 | 26 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 215–217 | 2 | Arizona, Sonora |
| SON 3 | 217–240 | 23 | Sonora |
| connecting roads | 240–242 | 2 | Sonora, Baja California |
| BC 4 | 242–261 | 19 | Baja California |
| BC 41 | 261–266 | 5 | Baja California |
| MEX-5 | 266–486 | 220 | Baja California |
| MEX-1 | 486–558 | 72 | Baja California |
- Mile 216 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
- Mile 241 of this route: Sonora → Baja California (state line)
Stops between Tempe and Bahía de los Ángeles
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): St. Mary's Basilica (mile 12), Arizona State Capitol (mile 14), Desert West Lake (mile 19), Yuma Desert (mile 200)
- Nature and outdoors: Desert West Lake (mile 19), Skyline Regional Park (mile 40), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 72), Yuma Desert (mile 200)
- Museums and history: St. Mary's Basilica (mile 12), Arizona State Capitol (mile 14), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 72), Gatlin Site (mile 76)
St. Mary's Basilica
Phoenix's oldest Catholic parish worships in this Mission Revival church, completed in 1914 and lit by Emil Frei stained glass; Pope John Paul II named it a minor basilica in 1985 and prayed here during his 1987 visit.
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.
Desert West Lake
Part of Arizona Game and Fish's Community Fishing Program, this west Phoenix lake gives anglers a shot at catfish, trout, bass and sunfish, and the Desert West Skate Park's bowls and ledges sit nearby.
Skyline Regional Park
At the southern edge of the White Tank Mountains in Buckeye, this 8,700-acre city park offers about 20 miles of trails, shaded picnic ramadas and designated dry camping sites.
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.
Gatlin Site
A National Historic Landmark in the town of Gila Bend, the Gatlin Site is an archaeological site known for a Hohokam platform mound documented by archaeologists.
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 Bahía de los Ángeles
Bahía de los Ángeles is a small fishing and outdoor town on the Gulf of California side of the Baja peninsula, where the paved spur road off Federal Highway 1 ends at the water. Since 2007 the bay and the nearby Ballenas and Salsipuedes channels have been a federal biosphere reserve that protects whale sharks, several whale species, sea lions and sea turtles.
- Bahía de los Ángeles Biosphere Reserve: Covering almost 388,000 hectares of sea, the reserve shelters blue, humpback and sperm whales, California sea lions and endangered sea turtles. source
- Whale shark encounters: Whale shark watching in the bay runs under a sustainable-use program managed by Mexico's protected-areas agency, CONANP. source
- Isla Rasa and the Gulf islands: Isla Rasa and Isla Salsipuedes are recognized bird conservation areas, part of the UNESCO-listed islands and protected areas of the Gulf of California. source
More drives to Bahía de los Ángeles
- Poway, CA to Bahía de los Ángeles
- Surprise, AZ to Bahía de los Ángeles
- Riverside, CA to Bahía de los Ángeles
- Indio, CA to Bahía de los Ángeles
- Palm Springs, CA to Bahía de los Ángeles
- Twentynine Palms, CA to Bahía de los Ángeles
From Tempe to other places in Mexico
- Tempe, AZ to Nogales
- Tempe, AZ to Tijuana
- Tempe, AZ to Hermosillo
- Tempe, AZ to Ciudad Obregón
- Tempe, AZ to Bahía de Kino
- Tempe, AZ to Ciudad Juárez
All routes to Bahía de los Ángeles, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Bahía de los Ángeles, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tempe to Bahía de los Ángeles?
About 12 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 558 miles.
How far is Bahía de los Ángeles from Tempe by car?
About 558 miles (898 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 Tempe to Bahía de los Ángeles drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 216 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the San Luis port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Tempe to Bahía de los Ángeles?
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 Tempe to Bahía de los Ángeles?
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 Tempe to Bahía de los Ángeles use?
In order: AZ 202 Loop, I-10, AZ 85, US-80 Hist, I-8, AZ 195, SON 3, BC 4, BC 41, MEX-5 and MEX-1. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Tempe and Bahía de los Ángeles?
Closest to the road: St. Mary's Basilica (minor basilica, mile 12, 0.8 mi from the route); Desert West Lake (lake, mile 19, 0.9 mi from the route); Yuma Desert (desert, mile 200, 0.5 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.