Clovis, NM to Grants, NM is 296.9 miles and takes about 5h 23m via I 40, US 60, and US Highway 84, with a fuel budget near $43 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Desert Southwest, crossing from one part of New Mexico to another. It's a straightforward drive primarily on major highways, making it a good option if you need to cover ground efficiently. With a recommended one-day drive, you won't feel rushed, and the fuel cost is quite manageable.
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
148.5 miles from Clovis, NM
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 48m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 40
191 mi
3h 15m
US 60
58.1 mi
1h 8m
US Highway 84
41.1 mi
46m
I 40 Business
3 mi
4m
West 7th Street
2.3 mi
4m
North 4th Street
0.6 mi
<1m
San Jose Drive
0.2 mi
<1m
5th Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 191 mi, about 3h 15m
Traffic on I-40
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 86 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~2,312 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,761
Quietest
2 AM
~281 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clovis, NM and Grants, NM.
1
Start on North Main Street
41 ft·5 sec·North Main Street
2
Turn right onto West 7th Street
2.3 mi·4 min·West 7th Street
3
Turn right onto US 60; US 84
58 mi·1 hr 8 min·US 60; US 84
4
Turn right onto US 84
0.6 mi·42 sec·North 4th Street
5
Continue on US 84
41 mi·46 min·US Highway 84
6
Continue on US 84
0.1 mi·11 sec·Historic Route 66
7
Turn left
0.3 mi·34 sec
Toward I 40 West
8
Merge onto I 40
191 mi·3 hr 15 min·I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit onto I 40 Business
0.2 mi·20 sec·I 40 Business
Toward I 40, NM 547: Grants, Mount Taylor
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40 Business
2.8 mi·4 min·I 40 Business
Toward Grants
11
Turn left onto 5th Street
0.2 mi·33 sec·5th Street
12
At end of road, turn left onto San Jose Drive
397 ft·17 sec·San Jose Drive
13
Keep slight right at fork onto San Jose Drive
0.1 mi·27 sec·San Jose Drive
14
Arrive at destination
San Jose Drive
Trip Plan
Given the 5h 23m estimated drive time, leaving Clovis in the morning will allow you to reach Grants with plenty of daylight to spare. Plan for one main stop, as the route data suggests. You'll be on highways for nearly the entire drive, so keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 191-mile segment on I 40. While the fuel cost is estimated at $43, it's always wise to top off before heading out. This drive is easily completed in a single day, offering flexibility in your departure time.
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 148.5 miles from Clovis, NM, or about 2h 48m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 191 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 65 miles or 1h 18m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 148.5 miles or 2h 48m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 25m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Grants, NM than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Clovis, 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 Clovis, NM
This is one driving day of about 296.9 miles and 5h 23m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 65 miles from Clovis, 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 I 40 for about 191 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
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 102.3 and 296.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
102.3 mi into trip|~2h in
Turn left toward I 40 West
Navigation decision point
Toward I 40 West
5
102.6 mi into trip|~2h 1m in|I 40
Merge onto I 40
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
293.5 mi into trip|~5h 17m in|I 40 Business
Take the exit onto I 40 Business toward I 40, NM 547: Grants, Mount Taylor
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 40, NM 547: Grants, Mount Taylor
5
293.7 mi into trip|~5h 17m in|I 40 Business
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40 Business toward Grants
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Grants
6
296.7 mi into trip|~5h 22m in|San Jose Drive
At end of road, turn left onto San Jose Drive
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$46.22 one way
$92.44 round trip
$3.95/gal25.4 MPG avg104 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$50.95
$101.90
premium
$4.71
$55.07
$110.13
diesel
$6.18
$72.23
$144.45
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$46
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$71–$96
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 103.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $31 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
89.1
1
$31.17
$14.25
Efficient EV
74.2
0
$25.98
$11.88
EV Truck/SUV
118.8
1
$41.57
$19.00
Gas CO2
104 kg
EV CO2
35 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.
Forecast as of Oct 18, 2026
Origin
Clovis, NM
Late night
in Clovis on Sunday
Local time
4:57 AM
MDT
Current temp
37°F
Mostly Clear
SW 5 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Grants, NM
Late night
in Grants on Sunday
Local time
4:57 AM
MDT
Current temp
38°F
Partly Cloudy
S 0 to 5 mph1% chanceLive forecast
41°F
Edgewood, NM
148 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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 23m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Petroglyph National Monument
National Monument
Petroglyph National Monument protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, featuring designs and symbols carved onto volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400 to 700...
3 mi from route
~8 min detour
Free
near mile 225.2
Caution: Be City Smart: Take precautions to secure your vehicle and valuables.
The richly diverse volcanic landscape of El Malpais (el-mal-pie-EES) offers solitude, recreation, and adventure. Explore incredible geologic features such as young lava flows, cinder cones, lava tubes...
20 mi from route
~49 min detour
Free
near mile 286.7
Imagine the refreshment of finding water after days of dusty travel. A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a sandstone bluff made El Morro (the headland) a popular campsite for hundreds of years....
29 mi from route
~72 min detour
Free
near mile 296.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll be on highways for 99% of this 296.9-mile trip. Expect to spend most of your time on I 40, where you'll encounter the longest stretch of continuous driving at 191 miles. The transition to surface roads will be minimal as you near Grants. This route offers a consistent highway cruising experience, with the potential for frequent exits along I 40.
99% 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: 191 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and US 60. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 102.3 miles in.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 23m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 102.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 102.6 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 293.5 miles (I 40 Business): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Top landmarks
•Hotel Clovis — historic building in Clovis, New Mexico, US
•State Theater — movie theater in Clovis, New Mexico, United States
•Clovis Depot — railway station in Clovis, the United States of America
Grants is a small town in western New Mexico, United States. It is one of the stops along the historic Route 66 highway west of Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city.
Top landmarks
•Charley's Automotive Service — roadside business and home complex on the former route of U.S. Route 66, in Gran...
•Grants-Milan Flight Service Station — flight service station in Cibola County, New Mexico
The longest stretch is about 191 miles on I 40. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 17 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 17 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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 102.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 102.6 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 293.5 miles (I 40 Business): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Petroglyph National Monument, El Malpais National Monument and El Morro National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.4 hours each way, a round trip means 10.8 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Grants, NM before the return drive.
