Drive or Fly: Silver City, NM to Sunland Park, 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–ELP. At 150 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h

Distance

150.7 mi

Total Cost

$68

CO2

61 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$33
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 50m

14m in the air

Air Distance

120 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

31 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Silver City, NM → SVC 18m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 14m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
ELP → Sunland Park, NM 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Silver City, NM SVC — Grant County Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive
Sunland Park, NM ELP — El Paso International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SVC and ELP. 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

4h 54m

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 → Sunland Park, NM 10m

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 6 mi, ~10m 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

4h 11m

2h 38m on road

Total Cost

$15

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US1000

Door-to-Door Timeline

Silver City, NM → Lordsburg (McDonald's) (LDS6) 58m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 158m
Arrival 10m
El Paso Bus Station (W San Antonio St) (ELP6) → Sunland Park, NM 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

From LDS6 — Lordsburg (McDonald's) 39 mi, ~58m drive
To ELP6 — El Paso Bus Station (W San Antonio St) 6 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~21/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
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 3h 2h 50m 4h 54m 4h 11m
Total cost (1 person) $68 $125 $27 $15
Carbon footprint 61 kg CO2 31 kg CO2 8 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: 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 13, 2026.

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