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Trip from Lee Acres, NM to Gallup, NM

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 28m

Distance

140.2 mi

226 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$21

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
2h 19m ★
6 AM
2h 29m
8 AM
2h 49m
10 AM
2h 36m
12 PM
2h 34m
3 PM
2h 37m
5 PM
2h 48m
8 PM
2h 23m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Lee Acres, NM, NM

Lee Acres, NM

Alican Helik

city in and county seat of McKinley County, New Mexico, United States

Gallup, NM

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Lee Acres, NM to Gallup, NM covers 140.2 miles and takes about 2h 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Coronado Freeway, 4th Street Northwest, East Aztec Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 135 miles on Coronado Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $21.17 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

70.1 miles from Lee Acres, NM

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 16m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 28m. Total distance: 140.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 2h 28m highway drive covering 140.2 miles, with most of the trip on Coronado Freeway and 4th Street Northwest. The longest continuous stretch is about 135 miles on Coronado Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Coronado Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 135 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Coronado Freeway and 4th Street Northwest. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Solar Road Northwest.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Lee Acres, NM to Gallup, NM is easy. At 2h 28m with 96% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Solar Road Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (4th Street Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 3.6 miles (I 40 / Coronado Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | Solar Road Northwest

Turn left onto Solar Road Northwest

Navigation decision point

4
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | 4th Street Northwest

Turn right onto 4th Street Northwest

Navigation decision point

5
3.6 mi into trip | ~8m in | I 40 / Coronado Freeway

Merge onto I 40 / Coronado Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
138.6 mi into trip | ~2h 25m in

Take the exit toward Miyamura Drive, Montoya Boulevard

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Miyamura Drive, Montoya Boulevard
5
140.2 mi into trip | ~2h 28m in | I 40 BUS; NM 118; US 66 Hist / East Historic Highway 66

Turn right onto I 40 BUS; NM 118; US 66 Hist / East Historic Highway 66

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Coronado Freeway 135 mi 2h 16m
4th Street Northwest 2.9 mi 6m
East Aztec Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
Fairway Road Northwest 0.3 mi 1m
Ford Drive 0.2 mi <1m
Solar Road Northwest 0.2 mi <1m
Miyamura Overpass 0.1 mi <1m
South 2nd Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Coronado Freeway — 135 mi, about 2h 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lee Acres, NM and Gallup, NM.

1

Start on Fairway Road Northwest

0.3 mi · 1 min · Fairway Road Northwest
2

Turn left onto Solar Road Northwest

0.2 mi · 39 sec · Solar Road Northwest
3

Turn right onto 4th Street Northwest

2.9 mi · 6 min · 4th Street Northwest
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward I 40 West: Gallup
5

Merge onto I 40

135 mi · 2 hr 16 min · Coronado Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 45 sec
Toward Miyamura Drive, Montoya Boulevard
7

Turn left onto NM 609

0.2 mi · 17 sec · Ford Drive
8

Continue on NM 609

0.1 mi · 21 sec · Miyamura Overpass
9

Turn right onto East Aztec Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Aztec Avenue
10

Turn right onto NM 610

0.1 mi · 15 sec · South 2nd Street
11

Turn right onto I 40 BUS; NM 118; US 66 Hist

68 ft · 2 sec · East Historic Highway 66
12

Arrive at destination

I 40 BUS; NM 118; US 66 Hist

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 70.1 miles from Lee Acres, NM, or about 1h 16m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 135 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 31 miles or 36m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 70.1 miles or 1h 16m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 1m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Gallup, NM than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Lee Acres, NM so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Lee Acres, NM

This is one driving day of about 140.2 miles and 2h 28m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 31 miles from Lee Acres, NM.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Coronado Freeway for about 135 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 70.1 mi from Lee Acres, NM · 1h 16m into the drive

Downtown Laguna, NM, NM

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Laguna, NM

70 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Laguna, NM

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Grants, NM

Meal break

The midpoint is around 70.1 miles from Lee Acres, NM, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Coronado Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 135 miles.

Arriving in Gallup, NM

The final approach into Gallup, NM usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Gallup, NM.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Petroglyph National Monument

Petroglyph National Monument

National Monument

Petroglyph National Monument protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, featuring designs and symbols carved onto volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400 to 700...

4 mi from route ~10 min detour Free near mile 9.7
Caution: Be City Smart: Take precautions to secure your vehicle and valuables.
View on nps.gov
El Malpais National Monument

El Malpais National Monument

National Monument

The richly diverse volcanic landscape of El Malpais (el-mal-pie-EES) offers solitude, recreation, and adventure. Explore incredible geologic features such as young lava flows, cinder cones, lava tubes...

19 mi from route ~47 min detour Free near mile 72.5
View on nps.gov
El Morro National Monument

El Morro National Monument

National Monument

Imagine the refreshment of finding water after days of dusty travel. A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a sandstone bluff made El Morro (the headland) a popular campsite for hundreds of years....

26 mi from route ~64 min detour Free near mile 111.2
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$21.17 one way

$42.35 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 49 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $23.24 $46.49
premium $4.56 $25.16 $50.33
diesel $5.61 $30.95 $61.91

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$21

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$46–$71

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 49.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $15 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 42.1 0 $14.72 $6.73
Efficient EV 35.1 0 $12.27 $5.61
EV Truck/SUV 56.1 0 $19.63 $8.97

Gas CO2

49 kg

EV CO2

16 kg (67% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Lee Acres, NM

Afternoon in Lee Acres on Friday

Local time

3:49 PM

MDT

Current temp

82°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Gallup, NM

Afternoon in Gallup on Friday

Local time

3:49 PM

MDT

Current temp

70°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

68°F

Laguna, NM

70 mi in

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

12 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

2h 28m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Lee Acres, NM to Gallup, NM covers 140.2 miles and takes about 2h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Coronado Freeway, 4th Street Northwest, East Aztec Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 70.1 miles from Lee Acres, NM. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $21.17 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

The drive from Lee Acres, NM to Gallup, NM is easy. At 2h 28m with 96% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Solar Road Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (4th Street Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 3.6 miles (I 40 / Coronado Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Lee Acres, NM to Gallup, NM does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Petroglyph National Monument, El Malpais National Monument and El Morro National Monument.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Gallup, NM to Lee Acres, NM

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