Origin
Santa Fe, NM
Night in Santa Fe on Thursday
Local time
10:37 PM
MDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Fe, NM to Chimayo, NM
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
43m
Distance
28 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Fe, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Chimayo, NM
Ken Jacobsen
Trip Overview
The drive from Santa Fe, NM to Chimayo, NM covers 28 miles and takes about 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Taos Highway, Santa Fe Highway, La Puebla Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.2 miles on Taos Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.23 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 28 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (7%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 43m drive with frequent turns across 28 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Taos Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 12.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Cathedral Place.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 43m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Cathedral Place): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Palace Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Washington Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Cathedral Place
Turn left onto Cathedral Place
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Palace Avenue
Turn left onto East Palace Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Washington Avenue
Turn right onto Washington Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
North Guadalupe Street
Turn right onto North Guadalupe Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
4
21.7 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
La Puebla Road
Turn right onto La Puebla Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Taos Highway | 12.2 mi | 14m |
| Santa Fe Highway | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| La Puebla Road | 2.8 mi | 6m |
| Route 76 | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Santa Cruz Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| North Saint Francis Drive | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| Paseo de Peralta | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Guadalupe Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Taos Highway
— 12.2 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Fe, NM and Chimayo, NM.
1
Start on East San Francisco Street
294 ft
·
15 sec
·
East San Francisco Street
2
Turn left onto Cathedral Place
238 ft
·
13 sec
·
Cathedral Place
3
Turn left onto East Palace Avenue
327 ft
·
13 sec
·
East Palace Avenue
4
Turn right onto Washington Avenue
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Washington Avenue
5
Turn left onto NM 475
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Paseo de Peralta
6
Turn right onto North Guadalupe Street
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
North Guadalupe Street
Use the slight right lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
8
Merge onto US 84; US 285
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Saint Francis Drive
9
Continue on US 84; US 285
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Taos Highway
10
Continue on US 84; US 285
6.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Santa Fe Highway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto La Puebla Road
2.8 mi
·
6 min
·
La Puebla Road
12
At end of road, turn right onto NM 76
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Santa Cruz Road
13
Continue on NM 76
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Route 76
14
Arrive at destination
NM 76
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.23 one way
$8.46 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $4.64 | $9.28 |
| premium | $4.56 | $5.03 | $10.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.18 | $12.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.94 | $1.34 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.92 | $1.79 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Destination
Chimayo, NM
Night in Chimayo on Thursday
Local time
10:37 PM
MDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
43m 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 Santa Fe, NM to Chimayo, NM covers 28 miles and takes about 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Taos Highway, Santa Fe Highway, La Puebla Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14 miles from Santa Fe, NM. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.23 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.
This is a straightforward 43m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Cathedral Place): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Palace Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Washington Avenue): Navigation decision point.
The route from Santa Fe, NM to Chimayo, NM does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Chimayo, NM
More trips to Chimayo, NM
Explore more options from Santa Fe, NM or browse trips ending in Chimayo, NM.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NM road trips.