Origin
Albuquerque, NM
Night in Albuquerque on Saturday
Local time
10:43 PM
MDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Albuquerque, NM to Los Lunas, NM
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
23.9 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Albuquerque, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Los Lunas, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Albuquerque and Los Lunas, this 24-mile route offers a straightforward path through the Desert Southwest. Expect the drive to take roughly 26 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a simple day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will navigate primarily via 2nd Street Southwest, Coal Avenue Southwest, and Coal Avenue Southeast rather than taking the interstate. With a fuel budget of just $4, this is an incredibly affordable commute between these two New Mexico hubs. Since both the origin and destination are located within the same desert region, you will experience a consistent environment throughout the journey. It is a practical, no-frills option if you need to travel between these cities efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pan American Freeway | 20.5 mi | 21m |
| Main Street Southwest | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street Northwest | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Coal Avenue Southeast | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 2nd Street Southwest | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Coal Avenue Southwest | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Main Street Northeast | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Central Avenue Northwest | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Pan American Freeway
— 20.5 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Albuquerque, NM and Los Lunas, NM.
1
Start on Central Avenue Northwest
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Central Avenue Northwest
2
Turn right onto 2nd Street Southwest
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
2nd Street Southwest
3
Turn left onto Coal Avenue Southwest
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Coal Avenue Southwest
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on Coal Avenue Southeast
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Coal Avenue Southeast
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 25 South
6
Merge onto I 25
21 mi
·
21 min
·
Pan American Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 203
Toward HR 66: University of New Mexico Valencia Campus
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn left onto NM 6
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Main Street Southwest
9
Continue on NM 6
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street Northwest
10
Continue on NM 6
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Main Street Southwest
11
Continue on NM 6
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Main Street Northeast
12
Turn right onto Luna Avenue Southeast
151 ft
·
6 sec
·
Luna Avenue Southeast
13
Turn slight left
32 ft
·
2 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 21.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
2nd Street Southwest
Turn right onto 2nd Street Southwest
Navigation decision point
7
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Coal Avenue Southwest
Turn left onto Coal Avenue Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 25 South
Navigation decision point
Toward I 25 South
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 25 / Pan American Freeway
Merge onto I 25 / Pan American Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
21.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward HR 66: University of New Mexico Valencia Campus
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 203
Toward HR 66: University of New Mexico Valencia...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.61 one way
$7.22 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $3.96 | $7.92 |
| premium | $4.56 | $4.29 | $8.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Destination
Los Lunas, NM
Night in Los Lunas on Saturday
Local time
10:43 PM
MDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
40 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
28m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Forget about monotonous highway cruising; this trip is entirely a turn-heavy local drive with a 0% highway share. Because you are navigating city streets, your longest uninterrupted stretch is 0 miles on 2nd Street Southwest, meaning you should be prepared for frequent stops and turns. The route demands your full attention as you transition off the main city grid. It feels more like a local errand run than a cross-country trek, requiring you to stay alert through the various intersections along Coal Avenue. Expect a steady, hands-on driving experience that keeps you engaged with the local road infrastructure from start to finish.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.5 mi on Pan American Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pan American Freeway and Main Street Southwest. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 2nd Street Southwest.
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 28m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (2nd Street Southwest): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Coal Avenue Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
5,153 ft
4,853 ft
Total Climb
307 ft
Total Descent
409 ft
Highest Point
5,153 ft
~5.1 mi in
Elevation Range
299 ft
Notable High Points
5,153 ft at ~5.1 miles
+62 ft prominence
5,031 ft at ~13.7 miles
+5 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Albuquerque, NM to Los Lunas, NM, road signs begin pointing toward Hr 66: University Of New Mexico Valencia Campus along the way.
Hr 66: University Of New Mexico Valencia Campus
21.8 mi in
|
~24m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 23.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.5 miles on Pan American Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
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.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (2nd Street Southwest): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Coal Avenue Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes — Petroglyph National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Los Lunas, NM before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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