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Trip from Roswell, NM to Albuquerque, NM

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

3h 50m

Distance

201 mi

323 km

Drive Score

10/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$30

one way

EV Charging

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station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 38 min
4 AM
3h 38m ★
6 AM
3h 51m
8 AM
4h 16m
10 AM
4h 0m
12 PM
3h 57m
3 PM
4h 1m
5 PM
4h 15m
8 PM
3h 43m

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

Roswell, NM

Wikimedia Commons

city and county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States and the largest city in the state

Albuquerque, NM

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Roswell, NM to Albuquerque, NM covers 201 miles and takes about 3h 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on North Main Street, I 40, US 54 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 97.8 miles on North Main Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $30.36 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.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

100.5 miles from Roswell, NM

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 56m into the drive .

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Drive Character

The drive from Roswell, NM to Albuquerque, NM covers 201 miles and takes about 3h 50m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Main Street is the longest continuous segment at about 97.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 70; US 285 / North Main Street.

Route Complexity 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 201 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 70; US 285 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 139.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 198 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 70; US 285 / North Main Street

Turn left onto US 70; US 285 / North Main Street

Navigation decision point

6
139.9 mi into trip | ~2h 42m in

Turn left

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
198 mi into trip | ~3h 44m in

Take the exit toward I 25 North, I 25 South: Las Cruces, Santa Fe

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 159B-C Toward I 25 North, I 25 South: Las Cruces, Sant...
8
198.2 mi into trip | ~3h 44m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 25 South: Las Cruces

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane. Exit 159B Toward I 25 South: Las Cruces
8
199.7 mi into trip | ~3h 47m in

Take the exit toward Martin Luther King Junior Avenue, Central Avenue

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 224B Toward Martin Luther King Junior Avenue, Centra...

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Main Street 97.8 mi 1h 52m
I 40 57.9 mi 1h 1m
US 54 42 mi 49m
Central Avenue Northeast 0.8 mi 2m
Pan American Freeway 0.6 mi <1m
Locust Street Northeast 0.3 mi <1m
West 2nd Street 0.1 mi <1m
Central Avenue Northwest Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: North Main Street — 97.8 mi, about 1h 52m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Roswell, NM and Albuquerque, NM.

1

Start on US 70; US 380

0.1 mi · 28 sec · West 2nd Street
2

Turn left onto US 70; US 285

98 mi · 1 hr 52 min · North Main Street
3

Continue on US 54; US 60; US 285

42 mi · 49 min · US 54; US 60; US 285
4

Turn left

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Use the left lane.
5

Merge onto I 40

58 mi · 1 hr 1 min · I 40
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 17 sec
Exit 159B-C Toward I 25 North, I 25 South: Las Cruces, Santa Fe Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 159B Toward I 25 South: Las Cruces Use the straight lane.
8

Merge onto I 25

0.6 mi · 42 sec · Pan American Freeway
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Exit 224B Toward Martin Luther King Junior Avenue, Central Avenue Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn straight onto Locust Street Northeast

0.3 mi · 51 sec · Locust Street Northeast
11

Turn right onto Central Avenue Northeast

0.8 mi · 2 min · Central Avenue Northeast
12

Arrive at destination

Central Avenue Northwest

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 100.5 miles from Roswell, NM, or about 1h 56m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 97.8 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 80 miles or 1h 32m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 100.5 miles or 1h 56m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 9m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Roswell, 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 Roswell, NM

This is one driving day of about 201 miles and 3h 50m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Roswell, NM.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on North Main Street for about 97.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 100.5 mi from Roswell, NM · 1h 56m into the drive

Downtown Ruidoso, NM, NM

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ruidoso, NM

101 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

Artesia, NM

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Socorro, NM

Meal break

The midpoint is around 100.5 miles from Roswell, NM, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before North Main Street if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 97.8 miles.

Arriving in Albuquerque, NM

The final approach into Albuquerque, 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 Albuquerque, NM.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$30.36 one way

$60.71 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 70 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $33.32 $66.65
premium $4.56 $36.08 $72.15
diesel $5.61 $44.38 $88.76

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$30

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$55–$80

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 70.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $21 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 60.3 0 $21.10 $9.65
Efficient EV 50.3 0 $17.59 $8.04
EV Truck/SUV 80.4 1 $28.14 $12.86

Gas CO2

70 kg

EV CO2

24 kg (66% 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 data refreshed 1 day ago

Origin

Roswell, NM

Late night in Roswell on Wednesday

Local time

3:48 AM

MDT

Current temp

52°F

Partly Cloudy

SW 5 to 10 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 13 at 7:00PM MDT until April 14 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 13 at 7:00PM MDT until April 14 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Destination

Albuquerque, NM

Late night in Albuquerque on Wednesday

Local time

3:48 AM

MDT

Current temp

82°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

30 degrees warmer at arrival

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

Road read

3h 50m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Roswell, NM to Albuquerque, NM covers 201 miles and takes about 3h 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Main Street, I 40, US 54. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 100.5 miles from Roswell, NM. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $30.36 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 201 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 70; US 285 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 139.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 198 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Roswell, NM to Albuquerque, NM does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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