Drive or Fly: Silver City, NM to Las Cruces, 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 SVC–LRU. At 112 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 18m

Distance

112.4 mi

Total Cost

$60

CO2

45 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$25

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

2h 42m

11m in the air

Air Distance

93 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

24 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Silver City, NM → SVC 18m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 11m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LRU → Las Cruces, NM 13m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Silver City, NM SVC — Grant County Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

Las Cruces, NM LRU — Las Cruces International Airport 9 mi, ~13m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SVC and LRU. 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

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

5h 47m

3h 7m on rail

Total Cost

$27

CO2

8 kg

Route

Texas Eagle

Door-to-Door Timeline

Silver City, NM → Lordsburg Amtrak 57m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 187m

Arrival 10m

El Paso → Las Cruces, NM 63m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $27) $27

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

Stations

From Lordsburg Amtrak 38 mi, ~57m drive

To El Paso 42 mi, ~63m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~4/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 4 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 28m

1h 55m on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

7 kg

Route

Greyhound US1030s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Silver City, NM → Lordsburg (McDonald's) (LDS6) 58m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 115m

Arrival 10m

Las Cruces(Road Runner Transit) (LAC6) → Las Cruces, NM 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From LDS6 — Lordsburg (McDonald's) 39 mi, ~58m drive

To LAC6 — Las Cruces(Road Runner Transit) 0 mi, ~10m 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	2h 18m	2h 42m	5h 47m	3h 28m
Total cost (1 person)	$60	$124	$27	$12
Carbon footprint	45 kg CO₂	24 kg CO₂	8 kg CO₂	7 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: Amtrak GTFS, 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Silver City, NM to Las Cruces, NM with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.