Car hire and driving in Santa Maria
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Brazil traffic drives on the right. Picking up at RIA means 12 km (7 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648833 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648834 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648835.
Drives from Santa Maria
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria to Santa Cruz do Sul | Brazil | 133 km (83 mi) | about 2 h 2 min |
| Santa Maria to Bagé | Brazil | 185 km (115 mi) | about 2 h 50 min |
| Santa Maria to Passo Fundo | Brazil | 209 km (130 mi) | about 3 h 11 min |
| Santa Maria to Bento Gonçalves | Brazil | 229 km (142 mi) | about 3 h 29 min |
| Santa Maria to Porto Alegre | Brazil | 251 km (156 mi) | about 3 h 50 min |
| Santa Maria to Canoas | Brazil | 254 km (158 mi) | about 3 h 53 min |
| Santa Maria to São Leopoldo | Brazil | 257 km (160 mi) | about 3 h 55 min |
| Santa Maria to Sapucaia do Sul | Brazil | 257 km (160 mi) | about 3 h 55 min |
| Santa Maria to Novo Hamburgo | Brazil | 259 km (161 mi) | about 3 h 57 min |
| Santa Maria to Caxias do Sul | Brazil | 261 km (162 mi) | about 3 h 59 min |
| Santa Maria to Cachoeirinha | Brazil | 263 km (164 mi) | about 4 h 1 min |
| Santa Maria to Alvorada | Brazil | 266 km (165 mi) | about 4 h 3 min |
| Santa Maria to São Paulo | Brazil | 986 km (613 mi) | about 15 h 2 min |
| Santa Maria to Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 1,299 km (807 mi) | about 19 h 48 min |
| Santa Maria to Santiago | Chile | 1,648 km (1,024 mi) | about 25 h 8 min |
| Santa Maria to Buenos Aires | Argentina | 697 km (433 mi) | about 10 h 37 min |
| Santa Maria to Belo Horizonte | Brazil | 1,472 km (915 mi) | about 22 h 27 min |
| Santa Maria to Brasília | Brazil | 1,659 km (1,031 mi) | about 25 h 18 min |
| Santa Maria to Córdoba | Argentina | 1,012 km (629 mi) | about 15 h 26 min |
| Santa Maria to Curitiba | Brazil | 651 km (404 mi) | about 9 h 56 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Santa Maria?
The right, as everywhere in Brazil.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.