Drive or Fly: Santa Fe, NM to Lee Acres, 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 SAF–DRO. At 200 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 45m

Distance

200.5 mi

Total Cost

$79

CO2

81 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$44

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

3h 24m

16m in the air

Air Distance

136 mi

Total Cost

$180

CO2

35 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Santa Fe, NM → SAF 15m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 16m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

DRO → Lee Acres, NM 53m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Santa Fe, NM SAF — Santa Fe Municipal Airport 10 mi, ~15m drive

Lee Acres, NM DRO — Durango La Plata County Airport 35 mi, ~53m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SAF and DRO. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ 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

4h 30m

2h 50m on road

Total Cost

$15

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US1194S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Santa Fe, NM → Bernalillo (Rail Runner Station) (BDL6) 64m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 170m

Arrival 10m

Farmington (Animas Valley Mall) (FYM6) → Lee Acres, NM 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

From BDL6 — Bernalillo (Rail Runner Station) 42 mi, ~64m drive

To FYM6 — Farmington (Animas Valley Mall) 8 mi, ~11m 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	3h 45m	3h 24m	4h 30m
Total cost (1 person)	$79	$180	$15
Carbon footprint	81 kg CO₂	35 kg CO₂	8 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

200.5 mi 3h 45m

via US 550, I 25, US 64

Shortest (+18 min)

190.6 mi 4h 3m

via US 550, US 84; US 285, NM 96

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Santa Fe, NM to Lee Acres, NM with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.