Drive Time
8h 56m
Distance
569.7 mi
917 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$87
one way
Photo: Jeff Stapleton
The drive from Santa Fe, TX to Lubbock, TX covers 569.7 miles and takes about 8h 56m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Highway 6, Farm-to-Market Road 1764, FM 1764 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $87.03 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
284.9 miles from Santa Fe, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 28m into the drive .
At 569.7 miles and 8h 56m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Highway 6 and Farm-to-Market Road 1764.
At 8h 56m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 56m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Santa Fe, TX to Lubbock, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 6 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Farm-to-Market Road 1764 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| FM 1764 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| FM 646 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Gulf Freeway Frontage Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 45 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South Gulf Freeway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 10 West | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Fe, TX and Lubbock, TX.
Start on Highway 6
Turn right onto Farm-to-Market Road 1764
Continue on FM 1764
Turn left onto FM 646
Turn right
Turn left onto Gulf Freeway Frontage Road
Take the ramp slight left toward I 45 North
Merge slight left onto South Gulf Freeway
Take the exit slight left toward I 10 West: San Antonio
Merge slight left onto Katy Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward TX 71 West: La Grange, Austin
Keep slight left
Continue on Bastrop Freeway
Continue on East State Highway 71
Take the exit slight right toward US 183 North, 183 Toll North: Lampasas
Merge slight left onto Bastrop Highway
Continue on Bergstrom Expressway
Continue straight
Continue straight
Continue on North US Highway 183
Continue on South Key Avenue
Continue on North US Highway 281
Keep slight left to continue on North US Highway 183
At the end of the road, turn left
Turn left onto Early Boulevard
Continue on East Commerce Street
Keep slight right to continue on Wallis Avenue
Turn right onto East Walnut Street
Continue on West Walnut Street
Continue on State Highway 153
Keep slight right to continue on State Highway 153
Turn right onto State Highway 70
Continue on Lamar Street
Turn left onto Northwest Georgia Avenue
Take the ramp slight left toward I 20 West: Midland
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward US 84 West: Snyder, Lubbock
Keep slight left
Turn right onto South Avenue F
Keep slight left to continue on North Avenue F
Turn straight onto Ralls Road
Turn left onto East 15th Street
Turn right onto North US Highway 84
Continue on Highway 84
Continue on Trooper Jerry Don Davis Memorial Highway
Continue on East Highway 84
Continue on Slaton Road
Continue on Avenue Q South Drive
Turn right onto 19th Street
Arrive at your destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 125 miles or 1h 57m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 284.9 miles or 4h 28m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 284.9 miles or 4h 28m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 59m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lubbock, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Santa Fe, TX 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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Santa Fe, TX
Aim for roughly 285 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Lubbock, TX
Aim for roughly 285 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 284.9 mi from Santa Fe, TX · 4h 28m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
188 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
376 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Killeen, TXNight 1
285 mi · about 4.5h in
A practical overnight split lands near Killeen, TX after about 285 miles or 4.5 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 125 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 284.9 miles from Santa Fe, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 285 miles or 4.5 hours on the road.
The final approach into Lubbock, TX 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 Lubbock, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Lubbock, TX with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$87.03 one way
$174.05 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $95.37 | $190.74 |
| premium | $4.59 | $102.97 | $205.94 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $126.57 | $253.14 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$87
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$217–$327
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 199.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $60 in charging · 2 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 170.9 | 2 | $59.82 | $27.35 |
| Efficient EV | 142.4 | 1 | $49.85 | $22.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 227.9 | 2 | $79.76 | $36.46 |
Gas CO2
199 kg
EV CO2
67 kg (66% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Morning in Santa Fe on Sunday
Local time
7:15 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Morning in Lubbock on Sunday
Local time
7:15 AM
CDT
Current temp
54°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
65°F
Austin, TX
188 mi in
60°F
Killeen, TX
376 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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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