Origin
Socorro, NM
Morning in Socorro on Saturday
Local time
11:55 AM
MDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Socorro, NM to Hobbs, NM
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 46m
Distance
280.3 mi
451 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$42
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 33m
★
6 AM
4h 46m
8 AM
5h 13m
10 AM
4h 56m
12 PM
4h 53m
3 PM
4h 57m
5 PM
5h 12m
8 PM
4h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Socorro, NM
REFLEXO DIGITAL
Hobbs, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Socorro, NM to Hobbs, NM covers 280.3 miles and takes about 4h 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on California Street, San Antonio, 2nd Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $42.33 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
140.2 miles from Socorro, NM
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 23m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| California Street | — | — |
| San Antonio | — | — |
| 2nd Street | — | — |
| Relief Route | — | — |
| Southeast Main Street | — | — |
| Roswell Highway | — | — |
| North 1st Street | — | — |
| East Main Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
California Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Socorro, NM and Hobbs, NM.
1
Start on the route
79 ft
·
7 sec
·
the route
2
Turn sharp right onto California Street
121 ft
·
12 sec
·
California Street
3
Continue on California Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
California Street
4
Keep slight right
8.1 mi
·
8 min
5
Take the exit slight right toward San Antonio
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
San Antonio
6
Continue straight
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
7
Continue on 2nd Street
107 mi
·
2 hr 18 min
·
2nd Street
8
At the end of the road, turn left
43 mi
·
52 min
9
Turn right onto Relief Route
8.0 mi
·
11 min
·
Relief Route
10
Turn right onto Southeast Main Street
26 mi
·
30 min
·
Southeast Main Street
11
Continue on Roswell Highway
7.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Roswell Highway
12
Continue on North 1st Street
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North 1st Street
13
Turn left onto East Main Street
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
East Main Street
14
Continue on Lovington Highway
29 mi
·
43 min
·
Lovington Highway
15
Turn right onto Bermuda Road
17 mi
·
25 min
·
Bermuda Road
16
Continue on NM Highway 529
14 mi
·
21 min
·
NM Highway 529
17
At the end of the road, turn left onto West Carlsbad Highway
12 mi
·
13 min
·
West Carlsbad Highway
18
Continue on West Marland Boulevard
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
West Marland Boulevard
19
Turn left onto South Turner Street
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
South Turner Street
20
Arrive at your destination
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 140.2 miles from Socorro, NM, or about 2h 23m into the drive.
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 62 miles or 1h 3m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 140.2 miles or 2h 23m 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 54m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Hobbs, NM than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Socorro, 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 Socorro, NM
This is one driving day of about 280.3 miles and 4h 46m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 62 miles from Socorro, 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.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
140 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 62 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 140.2 miles from Socorro, NM, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$42.33 one way
$84.66 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
98 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $46.47 | $92.94 |
| premium | $4.56 | $50.31 | $100.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $61.89 | $123.77 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$42
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$67–$92
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 98.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 84.1 | 1 | $29.43 | $13.45 |
| Efficient EV | 70.1 | 0 | $24.53 | $11.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 112.1 | 1 | $39.24 | $17.94 |
Gas CO2
98 kg
EV CO2
33 kg (66% 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
Hobbs, NM
Morning in Hobbs on Saturday
Local time
11:55 AM
MDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
85°F
Roswell, NM
140 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
1 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
4h 46m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
280.3 mi in 4h 46m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: California Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 46m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Socorro, NM to Hobbs, NM is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 46m. Total distance: 280.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through NM can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Socorro, NM to Hobbs, NM is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Possible but tiring. At 4.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.5 hours — manageable with a long break at Hobbs, NM, but most travelers stay overnight.
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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