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Trip from Shiprock, NM to Gallup, NM

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 59m

Distance

93.4 mi

150 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$14

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 26 min
4 AM
1h 51m ★
6 AM
2h 0m
8 AM
2h 17m
10 AM
2h 6m
12 PM
2h 4m
3 PM
2h 7m
5 PM
2h 16m
8 PM
1h 55m

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 Shiprock, NM, NM

Shiprock, NM

Airam Dato-on

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

Gallup, NM

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Shiprock, NM to Gallup, NM covers 93.4 miles and takes about 1h 59m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on US 491, West Maloney Avenue, South 3rd Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 92.1 miles on US 491. At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.11 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

46.7 miles from Shiprock, NM

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 59m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 59m. Total distance: 93.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (99%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 59m highway drive covering 93.4 miles, with most of the trip on US 491 and West Maloney Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 92.1 miles on US 491.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 491 is the longest continuous segment at about 92.1 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 491 and West Maloney Avenue. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.

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 1h 59m 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 491): Navigation decision point.

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 mi into trip | ~0m in

Turn right

Navigation decision point

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in

Turn right

Navigation decision point

4
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 491

Turn right onto US 491

Navigation decision point

6
92.3 mi into trip | ~1h 57m in | NM 609 / West Maloney Avenue

Turn left onto NM 609 / West Maloney Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
93.3 mi into trip | ~1h 59m in | I 40 BUS; NM 118; US 66 Hist / West Historic Highway 66

Turn left onto I 40 BUS; NM 118; US 66 Hist / West Historic Highway 66

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 491 92.1 mi 1h 56m
West Maloney Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
South 3rd Street 0.2 mi <1m
West Historic Highway 66 0.1 mi <1m
East Historic Highway 66 — —

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: US 491 — 92.1 mi, about 1h 56m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on this road

126 ft · 6 sec · this road
2

Turn right

485 ft · 22 sec
3

Turn right

459 ft · 23 sec
4

Turn right onto US 491

0.1 mi · 9 sec · US 491
5

Keep slight right at fork onto US 491

85 mi · 1 hr 45 min · US 491
6

Keep slight left at fork onto US 491

7.4 mi · 10 min · US 491
7

Turn left onto NM 609

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Maloney Avenue
Use the left lane.
8

Turn right onto NM 610

0.2 mi · 27 sec · South 3rd Street
9

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

0.1 mi · 21 sec · West Historic Highway 66
10

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 46.7 miles from Shiprock, NM, or about 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 92.1 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 21 miles or 26m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 46.7 miles or 59m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 36m

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 Shiprock, NM so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Shiprock, NM

This is one driving day of about 93.4 miles and 1h 59m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Shiprock, NM.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 491 for about 92.1 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 46.7 mi from Shiprock, NM · 59m into the drive

Downtown Twin Lakes, NM, NM

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Twin Lakes, NM

47 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

Waterflow, NM

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 21 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Twin Lakes, NM

Meal break

The midpoint is around 46.7 miles from Shiprock, NM, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before US 491 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 92.1 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.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$14.11 one way

$28.21 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 33 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $15.48 $30.97
premium $4.56 $16.76 $33.53
diesel $5.61 $20.62 $41.24

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$14

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$39–$64

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 32.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 28 0 $9.81 $4.48
Efficient EV 23.4 0 $8.17 $3.74
EV Truck/SUV 37.4 0 $13.08 $5.98

Gas CO2

33 kg

EV CO2

11 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 17, 2026

Origin

Shiprock, NM

Late night in Shiprock on Saturday

Local time

2:21 AM

MDT

Current temp

37°F

Partly Cloudy

W 10 to 15 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 17 at 1:31AM MDT until April 17 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 1:22AM MDT until April 18 at 3:00AM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Destination

Gallup, NM

Late night in Gallup on Saturday

Local time

2:21 AM

MDT

Current temp

33°F

Mostly Clear

SW 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 17 at 1:31AM MDT until April 17 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 1:22AM MDT until April 18 at 3:00AM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

29°F

Twin Lakes, NM

47 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

4 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

1h 59m 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 Shiprock, NM to Gallup, NM covers 93.4 miles and takes about 1h 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are US 491, West Maloney Avenue, South 3rd Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 46.7 miles from Shiprock, NM. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $14.11 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 1h 59m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 491): Navigation decision point.

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

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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