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Trip from Bernalillo, NM to Albuquerque, NM

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

22m

Distance

17.4 mi

28 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 20m ★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

town in and county seat of Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States

Bernalillo, NM

Wikimedia Commons

city and county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States and the largest city in the state

Albuquerque, NM

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 17.6-mile drive from Bernalillo, New Mexico, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, will only take about 19 minutes to complete. It's a straightforward trip primarily using local roads like East Avenida Bernalillo and Martin Luther King Junior Avenue, with a brief segment on I-25 South. Given its brevity, this route is perfect for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is a modest $3. Traveling within the Desert Southwest region, you'll experience the characteristic arid landscapes. This drive is ideal for those looking for a quick and easy transition between these two New Mexico communities.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 25 15.2 mi 16m
Central Avenue Northeast 0.8 mi 2m
East Avenida Bernalillo 0.5 mi 1m
Locust Street Northeast 0.3 mi <1m
Camino del Pueblo <0.1 mi <1m
Central Avenue Northwest

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: I 25 — 15.2 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bernalillo, NM and Albuquerque, NM.

1

Start on NM 313

19 ft · 2 sec · Camino del Pueblo
2

Turn right onto NM 473

0.5 mi · 1 min · East Avenida Bernalillo
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 46 sec
Toward I 25 South
4

Merge onto I 25

15 mi · 16 min · I 25
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Exit 224B Toward Martin Luther King Junior Avenue, Central Avenue Use the slight right lane.
6

Turn straight onto Locust Street Northeast

0.3 mi · 51 sec · Locust Street Northeast
7

Turn right onto Central Avenue Northeast

0.8 mi · 2 min · Central Avenue Northeast
8

Arrive at destination

Central Avenue Northwest

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | NM 473 / East Avenida Bernalillo

Turn right onto NM 473 / East Avenida Bernalillo

Navigation decision point

5
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 25 South

Navigation decision point

Toward I 25 South
5
0.9 mi into trip | ~1m in | I 25

Merge onto I 25

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
16.1 mi into trip | ~18m in

Take the exit toward Martin Luther King Junior Avenue, Central Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 224B Toward Martin Luther King Junior Avenue, Centra...
3
16.7 mi into trip | ~20m in | Central Avenue Northeast

Turn right onto Central Avenue Northeast

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.63 one way

$5.26 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $2.88 $5.77
premium $4.56 $3.12 $6.25
diesel $5.61 $3.84 $7.68

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.2 0 $1.83 $0.84
Efficient EV 4.4 0 $1.52 $0.70
EV Truck/SUV 7 0 $2.44 $1.11

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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 20, 2026

Origin

Bernalillo, NM

Morning in Bernalillo on Tuesday

Local time

6:22 AM

MDT

Current temp

75°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Albuquerque, NM

Morning in Albuquerque on Tuesday

Local time

6:22 AM

MDT

Current temp

77°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

2 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

22m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with a 0% highway share. The journey involves navigating surface streets for its entirety, meaning you'll be making frequent turns rather than settling into a long, straight stretch. The longest uninterrupted drive segment is not applicable due to the nature of this urban and suburban transit. You'll primarily be on East Avenida Bernalillo, transitioning to I-25 South for a short period before heading onto Martin Luther King Junior Avenue. This profile suggests a drive where you'll be constantly aware of your surroundings and road changes, typical of local commutes.

87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.2 mi on I 25.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 25 and Central Avenue Northeast. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near NM 473 / East Avenida Bernalillo.

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 22m drive. You will face about 5 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 (NM 473 / East Avenida Bernalillo): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (I 25): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Arriving in Albuquerque, NM

Full guide →

For the town in Spain, see Alburquerque Albuquerque, also known as ABQ, is a vibrant, sprawling city near the center of New Mexico. Cradled in the Rio Grande Valley beneath the Sandia Mountains, it is by far the largest city in the state, acting as the media, educational, and economic center of New Mexico, as well as the home of the state's only major airport, making it a common entry point into New Mexico. Despite this, Albuquerque is often overshadowed as a tourist destination by Santa Fe, 60 miles (97 km) to the north. But any visit to New Mexico would be incomplete without taking in what Albuquerque has to offer, as New Mexico's only major city has pleasant scenery, colorful history, and a wealth of great attractions in its own right.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 17.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

22m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 15.2 miles on I 25. 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: near the start (NM 473 / East Avenida Bernalillo): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (I 25): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Albuquerque, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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