The Wayro route from Tucson to San Felipe is 401 miles (645 km), about 7 h 49 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 260 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 | 401 mi (645 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 49 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-10 → I-8 → AZ 195 → SON 3 → BC 4 → BC 41 → MEX-5 |
| Border crossing | about mile 260 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 16.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
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 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 Tucson to San Felipe is like
I-8 (171 mi) and MEX-5 (91 mi) carry about 65% of the 401 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 260 miles; after the border at San Luis you have about 141 miles left in Mexico. Of the 6 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tucson to San Felipe, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–5 | 5 | Arizona |
| I-10 | 5–62 | 57 | Arizona |
| I-8 | 62–233 | 171 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 233–234 | 1 | Arizona |
| AZ 195 | 234–260 | 26 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 260–262 | 2 | Sonora |
| SON 3 | 262–285 | 23 | Sonora |
| connecting roads | 285–287 | 2 | Baja California |
| BC 4 | 287–306 | 19 | Baja California |
| BC 41 | 306–310 | 4 | Baja California |
| MEX-5 | 310–401 | 91 | Baja California |
- Mile 260 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)
- Mile 285 of this route: Sonora → Baja California (state line)
Stops between Tucson and San Felipe
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Silverbell Lake (mile 9), Yuma Desert (mile 244)
- Nature and outdoors: Silverbell Lake (mile 9), Picacho Peak State Park (mile 42), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 111), Yuma Desert (mile 244)
- Museums and history: Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 111)
Silverbell Lake
Silverbell Lake sits in Christopher Columbus Park in western Tucson, east of Silverbell Road between Camino del Cerro and Grant Road.
Sun Circle
Set in Pima County's Rillito River Park north of Tucson, this sculpture uses astronomical alignments so light passes through its openings at sunrise and sunset on the equinoxes and solstices.
White Stallion Ranch
Run by the True family since 1965, this 3,000-acre guest and cattle ranch near Tucson centers on horseback riding, keeps a bit of original adobe in its dining room, and has served as a location for Western films and TV shows.
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.
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.
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 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 Tucson to other places in Mexico
- Tucson, AZ to Cuauhtémoc
- Tucson, AZ to San Luis Río Colorado
- Tucson, AZ to Magdalena de Kino
- Tucson, AZ to Cananea
- Tucson, AZ to Navojoa
- Tucson, AZ to Guaymas
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 Tucson to San Felipe?
About 7 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 401 miles.
How far is San Felipe from Tucson by car?
About 401 miles (645 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 Tucson to San Felipe drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 260 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the San Luis port of entry.
Do I need a permit to drive my car from Tucson 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 Tucson to San Felipe?
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 Tucson to San Felipe use?
In order: I-10, I-8, AZ 195, SON 3, BC 4, BC 41 and MEX-5. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Tucson and San Felipe?
Closest to the road: Silverbell Lake (lake, mile 9, 0.6 mi from the route); Sun Circle (sculpture, mile 9, 1 mi from the route); Yuma Desert (desert, mile 244, 0.6 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.