Connecting Clayton to Clovis, this 168.2-mile journey takes you through the heart of the Desert Southwest. Expect to spend about 3 hours and 4 minutes on the road, making it a manageable day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via South 1st Street, US 385 South, and West 1st Street to complete the trek. Budget roughly $26 for fuel to cover the distance between these two New Mexico hubs. Because the route is relatively straightforward, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your schedule around your own pace. It is a practical, no-nonsense drive that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
99.2 miles from Clayton, NM
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 49m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 385
80.1 mi
1h 24m
South 1st Street
56.3 mi
1h 4m
US 60
26.7 mi
29m
West 1st Street
20.8 mi
21m
Wheeler Avenue
4.8 mi
6m
US 87
4.7 mi
5m
Mabry Drive
3.7 mi
4m
East 1st Street
0.7 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
US 385
— 80.1 mi, about 1h 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clayton, NM and Clovis, NM.
1
Start on US 56; US 64; US 412
45 ft·8 sec·Main Street
2
Turn left onto US 87
56 mi·1 hr 4 min·South 1st Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on US 87; US 385
4.7 mi·5 min·US 87; US 385
4
Take the exit onto US 385
80 mi·1 hr 24 min·US 385
Toward US 385 South: Channing
5
Turn right onto US 60
21 mi·21 min·West 1st Street
6
Continue on US 60
27 mi·29 min·US 60
7
Continue on US 60; US 70; US 84
4.8 mi·6 min·Wheeler Avenue
8
Continue on US 60; US 70; US 84
3.7 mi·4 min·Mabry Drive
9
Continue on US 60; US 70; US 84
0.7 mi·58 sec·East 1st Street
10
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.4 mi·53 sec·North Main Street
11
Arrive at destination
North Main Street
Trip Plan
Since this is a 168.2-mile local drive, aim to depart in the morning to maximize your daylight hours on the road. You only need to plan for one major stop to break up the journey, which helps keep your travel time close to the 3-hour estimate. Keep a close eye on your fuel gauge early on, as the $26 estimate assumes a steady pace on local roads. Flexibility is your biggest advantage here, so feel free to pull over whenever you need a quick reset. Given the turn-heavy nature of the route, double-check your navigation before setting out to ensure you stay on track through the various local street transitions.
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 99.2 miles from Clayton, NM, or about 1h 49m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 80.1 miles.
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 44 miles or 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 99.2 miles or 1h 49m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Clovis, NM than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Clayton, 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 Clayton, NM
This is one driving day of about 198.3 miles and 3h 37m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 44 miles from Clayton, 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.
The longest stretch is on US 385 for about 80.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 4
4 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 197.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 87 / South 1st Street
Turn left onto US 87 / South 1st Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
61 mi into trip|~1h 9m in|US 385
Take the exit onto US 385 toward US 385 South: Channing
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 385 South: Channing
3
141.1 mi into trip|~2h 34m in|US 60 / West 1st Street
Turn right onto US 60 / West 1st Street
Navigation decision point
3
197.9 mi into trip|~3h 36m in|North Main Street
Turn right onto North Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$29.95 one way
$59.90 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg69 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$32.88
$65.75
premium
$4.56
$35.59
$71.19
diesel
$5.61
$43.78
$87.56
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$30
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$55–$80
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 69.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
59.5
0
$20.82
$9.52
Efficient EV
49.6
0
$17.35
$7.93
EV Truck/SUV
79.3
0
$27.76
$12.69
Gas CO2
69 kg
EV CO2
23 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
Clayton, NM
Late night
in Clayton on Tuesday
Local time
2:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Clovis, NM
Late night
in Clovis on Tuesday
Local time
2:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°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.
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
8 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
3h 37m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this route relies entirely on local roads, meaning you will experience zero highway miles. The road’s personality is defined by its winding local paths rather than high-speed cruising. Because it is a more technical drive, you should anticipate constant adjustments rather than long, uninterrupted stretches of asphalt. Navigating these local corridors provides a very different experience than the typical highway transit, keeping you engaged with the road throughout the entire 3-hour trip.
56% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 80.1 mi on US 385.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 87 / South 1st Street.
Driving Effort1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Clayton, NM to Clovis, NM is easy. At 3h 37m with 56% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 87 / South 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 61 miles (US 385): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 141.1 miles (US 60 / West 1st Street): Navigation decision point.
Clovis is a city in the southeastern region of New Mexico, in Curry County, near the Texas state line. It is famous for the nearby archaeological site where "Clovis man" was discovered. It is a military community supporting nearby Cannon Air Force Base.
The longest stretch is about 80.1 miles on US 385. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 87 / South 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 61 miles (US 385): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 141.1 miles (US 60 / West 1st Street): Navigation decision point.
Possible but tiring. At 3.6 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.2 hours — manageable with a long break at Clovis, NM, but most travelers stay overnight.
