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Drive or Fly: Clovis, NM to Elephant Butte, NM?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for CVN–LRU. At 328 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

6h 42m

Distance

328.5 mi

Total Cost

$108

CO2

133 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$73
Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0
Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35
+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines
+ Comfortable one-day drive
+ Stop anywhere along the route
+ Have your own car at the destination
+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying
Wear and tear on vehicle
Fuel price fluctuations
Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

4h 12m

29m in the air

Air Distance

244 mi

Total Cost

$185

CO2

62 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clovis, NM → CVN 11m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 29m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
LRU → Elephant Butte, NM 92m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $130) $130
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Clovis, NM CVN — Clovis Municipal Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive
Elephant Butte, NM LRU — Las Cruces International Airport 61 mi, ~92m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CVN and LRU. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 30m compared to driving
+ Less physical fatigue
+ Predictable arrival time
Airport security and check-in overhead
No scheduled commercial flights found for this route
May need a rental car at destination
Luggage fees and restrictions
Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

8h 24m

6h 15m on road

Total Cost

$28

CO2

15 kg

Route

Greyhound US1190S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clovis, NM → Clovis (Cortex Gas) (CLO6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 375m
Arrival 10m
Las Cruces(Road Runner Transit) (LAC6) → Elephant Butte, NM 94m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $28) $28

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From CLO6 — Clovis (Cortex Gas) 2 mi, ~10m drive
To LAC6 — Las Cruces(Road Runner Transit) 63 mi, ~94m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option
+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board
+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route
+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying
Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week
Travel time longer than driving
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

Drive Fly Bus
Door-to-door time 6h 42m 4h 12m 8h 24m
Total cost (1 person) $108 $185 $28
Carbon footprint 133 kg CO2 62 kg CO2 15 kg CO2
Flexibility High Low
Luggage Unlimited Restricted
Reliability Weather dependent Data unavailable
Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices
Flight data: Statistical estimate
Airports: OurAirports
Transit: FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated
Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest
328.5 mi 6h 42m

via US 70, US 380, I 25

Alternative (+4 min)
371.5 mi 6h 47m

via I 25, I 40, US 60; US 84

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Clovis, NM to Elephant Butte, NM with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.