The Wayro route from Winslow to Mexicali is 436 miles (702 km), about 7 h 17 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 434 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 | 436 mi (702 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 17 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-40 → I-17 → AZ 303 → I-10 → AZ 85 → US-80 Hist → I-8 → CA-7 |
| Border crossing | about mile 434 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 17.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Mexicali
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Not needed if you stay within 12 miles (20 km) of the border for 6 days or less; required for longer stays or if you travel farther in |
| 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 Winslow to Mexicali is like
I-8 (161 mi) and I-17 (116 mi) carry about 64% of the 436 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona, California for about 434 miles; after the border at Calexico West you have about 2 miles left in Mexico. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Winslow to Mexicali, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Arizona |
| I-40 | 2–58 | 56 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 58–59 | 1 | Arizona |
| I-17 | 59–175 | 116 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 175–178 | 3 | Arizona |
| AZ 303 | 178–210 | 32 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 210–211 | 1 | Arizona |
| I-10 | 211–222 | 11 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 222–223 | 1 | Arizona |
| AZ 85 | 223–226 | 3 | Arizona |
| US-80 Hist | 226–255 | 29 | Arizona |
| AZ 85 | 255–259 | 4 | Arizona |
| connecting roads | 259–260 | 1 | Arizona |
| I-8 | 260–421 | 161 | Arizona, California |
| CA-7 | 421–429 | 8 | California |
| local roads | 429–436 | 7 | California, Baja California |
- Mile 379 of this route: Arizona → California (state line)
- Mile 434 of this route: California → Baja California (international border)
Stops between Winslow and Mexicali
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Montezuma Castle National Monument (mile 107)
- Nature and outdoors: Walnut Canyon National Monument (mile 47), Oak Creek Canyon (mile 74), Slide Rock State Park (mile 74), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 250), Colorado Desert (mile 416)
- Museums and history: Walnut Canyon National Monument (mile 47), Montezuma Castle National Monument (mile 107), Agua Fria National Monument (mile 146), Sonoran Desert National Monument (mile 250)
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Cliff dwellings built between 1125 and 1250 CE line this canyon near Flagstaff. The Island Trail descends 240 stairs past 25 of them, while the shorter Rim Trail offers wide views of the canyon and its dwellings.
Lowell Observatory
Percival Lowell founded this Mars Hill observatory in Flagstaff in 1894, and Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto here in 1930; today visitors can see the Pluto Discovery Dome and look through public telescopes at the Open Deck Observatory.
Oak Creek Canyon
Between Sedona and Flagstaff, State Route 89A follows this red-rock gorge for about 15 miles, climbing roughly 2,200 feet with hairpin turns and passing Midgley Bridge, Oak Creek Vista, and Slide Rock State Park.
Slide Rock State Park
Just north of Sedona in Oak Creek Canyon, an 80-foot natural rock chute worn slick by algae sends swimmers into the creek. The former Pendley homestead also keeps an apple orchard planted beginning in 1912.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Tucked into an alcove about 90 feet up a limestone cliff, this 20-room Sinagua dwelling is viewed from below. Established in 1906, the monument also includes Montezuma Well, a separate unit that once supplied the Sinagua with water.
Agua Fria National Monument
About 40 miles north of Phoenix off I-17, this BLM monument protects mesa-top pueblo ruins, petroglyph panels, and the Agua Fria River canyon, with hiking, birding, and primitive camping; much of Bloody Basin Road needs high clearance.
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.
Ogilby Hills
The Ogilby Hills are a desert mountain range in Imperial County, California, part of the Colorado Desert in the Lower Colorado River Valley near the Colorado River.
Colorado Desert
Part of the larger Sonoran Desert, the Colorado Desert stretches across Southern California into Baja California. Its low basins are dominated by creosote, ocotillo and cholla cactus, and it meets the Mojave Desert inside Joshua Tree National Park.
When you get to Mexicali
Baja California's state capital sits on the desert floor directly across the border from Calexico, and summer highs here can approach 50°C (about 122°F). Mexicali is known across Mexico for its Chinese food, a tradition that took root when Chinese immigrants settled in the 1910s and built the downtown district called La Chinesca.
- La Chinesca: The historic Chinese quarter downtown mixes Chinese and Mexican architecture and has a Chinese temple, small museums and plenty of Chinese-Mexican restaurants. source
- Museo UABC: Run by the state university since 1977, it covers desert ecology, paleontology, archaeology and the Cucapá, Kiliwa, Pai Pai and Kumiai peoples. source
- Museo Sol del Niño: A hands-on science and environment museum for kids, housed in La Jabonera del Pacífico, a former cottonseed warehouse recognized as heritage by INAH. source
More drives to Mexicali
- Fresno, CA to Mexicali
- Silver City, NM to Mexicali
- Long Beach, CA to Mexicali
- Poway, CA to Mexicali
- El Centro, CA to Mexicali
- La Verkin, UT to Mexicali
From Winslow to other places in Mexico
- Winslow, AZ to Puerto Peñasco
- Winslow, AZ to San Felipe
- Winslow, AZ to Nuevo Casas Grandes
- Winslow, AZ to Magdalena de Kino
- Winslow, AZ to Agua Prieta
- Winslow, AZ to Ciudad Juárez
All routes to Mexicali, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Mexicali, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Winslow to Mexicali?
About 7 h 17 min of driving without stops, over 436 miles.
How far is Mexicali from Winslow by car?
About 436 miles (702 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 Winslow to Mexicali drive cross into Mexico?
At about mile 434 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 Winslow to Mexicali?
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.
Is it safe to drive from Winslow to Mexicali?
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 Winslow to Mexicali use?
In order: I-40, I-17, AZ 303, I-10, AZ 85, US-80 Hist, I-8 and CA-7. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Winslow and Mexicali?
Closest to the road: Walnut Canyon National Monument (National monument, mile 47, 3 mi from the route); Lowell Observatory (astronomical observatory, mile 57, 2 mi from the route); Montezuma Castle National Monument (National monument, mile 107, 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.