Drive or Fly: Farmington, NM to Meadow Lake, NM?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for DRO–ABQ. At 217 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 19m

Distance

217.9 mi

Total Cost

$83

CO2

88 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$48

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 43m

20m in the air

Air Distance

163 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

42 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Farmington, NM → DRO 58m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 20m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

ABQ → Meadow Lake, NM 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Farmington, NM DRO — Durango La Plata County Airport 39 mi, ~58m drive

Meadow Lake, NM ABQ — Albuquerque International Sunport 17 mi, ~25m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DRO and ABQ. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 35m

3h 30m on road

Total Cost

$16

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US1194S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Farmington, NM → Farmington (Animas Valley Mall) (FYM6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 210m

Arrival 10m

Albuquerque Bus Station (ABQ6) → Meadow Lake, NM 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From FYM6 — Farmington (Animas Valley Mall) 5 mi, ~10m drive

To ABQ6 — Albuquerque Bus Station 20 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Bus
Door-to-door time	4h 19m	3h 43m	4h 35m
Total cost (1 person)	$83	$182	$16
Carbon footprint	88 kg CO₂	42 kg CO₂	8 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 19, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

217.9 mi 4h 18m

via US 550, I 25, US 64

Alternative (+43 min)

226.5 mi 5h 2m

via NM 371, I 40, NM 6

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Farmington, NM to Meadow Lake, NM with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.