Origin
Shiprock, NM
Late night in Shiprock on Friday
Local time
4:35 AM
MDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Shiprock, NM to Carlsbad, NM
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
9h 23m
Distance
480.5 mi
773 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$73
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
9h 15m
★
6 AM
9h 23m
8 AM
9h 40m
10 AM
9h 29m
12 PM
9h 27m
3 PM
9h 30m
5 PM
9h 39m
8 PM
9h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Shiprock, NM
Airam Dato-on
Carlsbad, NM
Malcolm Garret
Trip Overview
The drive from Shiprock, NM to Carlsbad, NM covers 480.5 miles and takes about 9h 23m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Bloomfield Highway, South Bloomfield Boulevard, I 25 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $72.57 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
240.2 miles from Shiprock, NM
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 41m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
9h 23m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 9h 23m drive with frequent turns across 480.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 34 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Bloomfield Highway is one of the defining roads on this drive.
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.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 23m, 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 Shiprock, NM to Carlsbad, NM is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomfield Highway | — | — |
| South Bloomfield Boulevard | — | — |
| I 25 South | — | — |
| San Mateo Boulevard | — | — |
| Osuna Road Northeast | — | — |
| San Mateo Boulevard Northeast | — | — |
| Coronado Freeway | — | — |
| US 285 | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Bloomfield Highway
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Shiprock, NM and Carlsbad, NM.
1
Start on the route
128 ft
·
7 sec
·
the route
2
Turn right
486 ft
·
23 sec
3
Turn right
459 ft
·
23 sec
4
Turn right
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
5
Keep slight left
131 ft
·
4 sec
6
Turn left
30 mi
·
40 min
7
Turn left onto Bloomfield Highway
11 mi
·
15 min
·
Bloomfield Highway
8
Take the exit straight
482 ft
·
13 sec
9
Merge slight left onto South Bloomfield Boulevard
150 mi
·
2 hr 48 min
·
South Bloomfield Boulevard
10
Continue straight
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
11
Continue straight
0.9 mi
·
1 min
12
Take the exit slight right toward I 25 South
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
I 25 South
13
Merge slight left
11 mi
·
12 min
14
Take the exit slight right toward San Mateo Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
San Mateo Boulevard
15
Turn straight onto Osuna Road Northeast
459 ft
·
11 sec
·
Osuna Road Northeast
16
Continue on San Mateo Boulevard Northeast
3.4 mi
·
7 min
·
San Mateo Boulevard Northeast
17
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
18
Merge slight left onto Coronado Freeway
56 mi
·
58 min
·
Coronado Freeway
19
Take the exit slight right toward US 285: Vaughn, Santa Fe
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
US 285: Vaughn, Santa Fe
20
Keep slight left
469 ft
·
15 sec
21
Turn right onto US Highway 285
27 mi
·
31 min
·
US Highway 285
22
Continue on Oak Street
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Oak Street
23
Continue on 8th Street
92 mi
·
1 hr 41 min
·
8th Street
24
Continue on North Main Street
6.9 mi
·
14 min
·
North Main Street
25
Turn slight left onto Southeast Main Street
30 mi
·
35 min
·
Southeast Main Street
26
Continue on Roswell Highway
7.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Roswell Highway
27
Continue on North 1st Street
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North 1st Street
28
Continue on South 1st Street
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
South 1st Street
29
Continue on Seven Rivers Highway
26 mi
·
29 min
·
Seven Rivers Highway
30
Continue on Artesia Highway
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Artesia Highway
31
Continue on Pierce Street
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Pierce Street
32
Continue on North Canal Street
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
North Canal Street
33
Continue on North Canal Street
154 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Canal Street
34
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
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.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 240.2 miles from Shiprock, NM, or about 4h 41m into the drive.
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 106 miles or 2h 4m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 240.2 miles or 4h 41m 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 240.2 miles or 4h 41m
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 8h 12m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Carlsbad, 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.
+
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 Shiprock, NM
Aim for roughly 240 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Carlsbad, NM
Aim for roughly 240 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 106 miles from Shiprock, NM.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 240.2 mi from Shiprock, NM · 4h 41m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
240 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 Albuquerque, NMOvernight Options
Night 1
240 mi · about 4.7h in
A practical overnight split lands near Albuquerque, NM after about 240 miles or 4.7 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 106 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 240.2 miles from Shiprock, NM, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 240 miles or 4.7 hours on the road.
Arriving in Carlsbad, NM
The final approach into Carlsbad, 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 Carlsbad, NM.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Carlsbad, NM 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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$72.57 one way
$145.13 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
168 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $79.66 | $159.32 |
| premium | $4.56 | $86.24 | $172.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $106.09 | $212.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$73
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$203–$313
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 168.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $50 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 144.2 | 1 | $50.45 | $23.06 |
| Efficient EV | 120.1 | 1 | $42.04 | $19.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 192.2 | 2 | $67.27 | $30.75 |
Gas CO2
168 kg
EV CO2
56 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Carlsbad, NM
Late night in Carlsbad on Friday
Local time
4:35 AM
MDT
Current temp
55°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.
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
16 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
9h 23m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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 Carlsbad, NM covers 480.5 miles and takes about 9h 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Bloomfield Highway, South Bloomfield Boulevard, I 25 South. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 240 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 240.2 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 $72.57 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 23m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Shiprock, NM to Carlsbad, NM is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Shiprock, NM to Carlsbad, NM does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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