Enchanted Hills to Silver City is 256.4 miles and takes about 5 hours 24 minutes via I 25 and NM 152, with a fuel budget near $38 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within the Desert Southwest, offering a consistent regional feel for its entire length. With 90% of the drive on highways, you'll experience mostly high-speed cruising. This trip is well-suited for a single day of driving, allowing you to reach your destination without an overnight stop.
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
128.2 miles from Enchanted Hills, NM
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 14m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 25
177.8 mi
3h
NM 152
51.2 mi
1h 24m
Wrights Cabin Road
14.2 mi
34m
Silver Heights Boulevard
7.5 mi
14m
US 550
2.8 mi
4m
North Hudson Street
0.8 mi
<1m
Enchanted Hills Boulevard Northeast
0.6 mi
1m
East Broadway
0.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 25
— 177.8 mi, about 3h
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 36 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,104 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,621
Quietest
2 AM
~76 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 93 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 Enchanted Hills, NM and Silver City, NM.
1
Start on Albany Hills Drive Northeast
247 ft·16 sec·Albany Hills Drive Northeast
2
Turn left onto Bismark Hills Way
253 ft·13 sec·Bismark Hills Way
3
Turn right onto Enchanted Hills Boulevard Northeast
0.6 mi·1 min·Enchanted Hills Boulevard Northeast
4
Turn left onto Safelite Road Northeast
0.3 mi·47 sec·Safelite Road Northeast
5
Continue on Safelite Boulevard Northeast
0.2 mi·34 sec·Safelite Boulevard Northeast
6
Turn right onto US 550
1.8 mi·3 min·US 550
7
Continue on US 550
0.1 mi·12 sec·US 550
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on US 550
0.9 mi·1 min·US 550
Use the right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi·46 sec
Toward I 25 South
10
Merge onto I 25
178 mi·3 hr·I 25
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward Hillsboro
12
Turn right onto NM 152
34 mi·54 min·NM 152
13
Continue on NM 90; FR 756
14 mi·34 min·Wrights Cabin Road
14
Continue on NM 152
18 mi·29 min·NM 152
15
Turn right onto US 180
7.5 mi·14 min·Silver Heights Boulevard
Use the left lane.
16
Turn slight left onto NM 90
0.8 mi·54 sec·North Hudson Street
17
Take the exit
281 ft·7 sec
18
Turn slight right onto East Broadway
0.3 mi·1 min·East Broadway
19
At end of road, turn left onto North Cooper Street
24 ft·0 sec·North Cooper Street
20
Arrive at destination
North Cooper Street
Trip Plan
Given the 5 hour 24 minute duration, departing in the morning is recommended to allow ample time and avoid driving in the dark. The longest stretch without a significant break is 177.8 miles on I 25, so plan a fuel stop before you begin this segment. While it's a single-day drive, having flexibility is key; you can adjust your departure time based on your morning's activities. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially as you transition to NM 152, to ensure you have enough to reach Silver City.
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 128.2 miles from Enchanted Hills, NM, or about 2h 14m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 177.8 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 56 miles or 1h 1m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 128.2 miles or 2h 14m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 55m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Silver City, NM than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Enchanted Hills, 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 Enchanted Hills, NM
This is one driving day of about 256.4 miles and 5h 24m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 56 miles from Enchanted Hills, 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 25 for about 177.8 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 256.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|Bismark Hills Way
Turn left onto Bismark Hills Way
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Enchanted Hills Boulevard Northeast
Turn right onto Enchanted Hills Boulevard Northeast
Navigation decision point
4
1.2 mi into trip|~3m in|US 550
Turn right onto US 550
Navigation decision point
5
4.4 mi into trip|~8m in|I 25
Merge onto I 25
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
256.4 mi into trip|~5h 24m in|North Cooper Street
At end of road, turn left onto North Cooper Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$39.91 one way
$79.83 round trip
$3.95/gal25.4 MPG avg90 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$44.00
$88.00
premium
$4.71
$47.56
$95.11
diesel
$6.18
$62.37
$124.75
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$40
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$65–$90
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 89.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $27 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
76.9
0
$26.92
$12.31
Efficient EV
64.1
0
$22.44
$10.26
EV Truck/SUV
102.6
1
$35.90
$16.41
Gas CO2
90 kg
EV CO2
30 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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
Enchanted Hills, NM
Night
in Enchanted Hills on Sunday
Local time
10:25 PM
MDT
Current temp
42°F
Mostly Clear
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Silver City, NM
Night
in Silver City on Sunday
Local time
10:25 PM
MDT
Current temp
42°F
Partly Cloudy
E 13 mph12% chanceLive 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
5h 24m 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...
8 mi from route
~20 min detour
Free
near mile 17.7
Caution: Be City Smart: Take precautions to secure your vehicle and valuables.
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly highway, with 90% of the 256.4 miles on major roads like I 25. You'll encounter a long stretch of 177.8 miles on I 25 before transitioning to surface roads. Expect mostly rural cruising for the majority of the trip, with less frequent exits once you leave the interstate.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 177.8 mi on I 25.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 25 and NM 152. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Bismark Hills Way.
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 24m drive. You will face about 10 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 (Bismark Hills Way): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Enchanted Hills Boulevard Northeast): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (US 550): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
7,124 ft4,491 ft
Total Climb
2,939 ft
Total Descent
2,308 ft
Highest Point
7,124 ft
~219.8 mi in
Elevation Range
2,633 ft
Notable High Points
5,009 ft at ~146.5 miles+202 ft prominence
7,124 ft at ~219.8 miles+667 ft prominence
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 Enchanted Hills, NM to Silver City, NM, road signs begin pointing toward Hillsboro along the way.
Silver City is a town in the southwestern part of New Mexico, USA. An old mining town, it is undergoing rebirth as a modest high-tech center and jumping-off point to a number of attractive areas in the mountains. The small nearby towns of Bayard, Hurley, etc., are also covered in this article.
Top landmarks
•Silver City Woman's Club — historic building in Silver City, New Mexico, United States
•Chihuahua Hill Historic District — historic district in Silver City, New Mexico
The longest stretch is about 177.8 miles on I 25. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 9 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 9 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: near the start (Bismark Hills Way): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Enchanted Hills Boulevard Northeast): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (US 550): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Petroglyph 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 Silver City, NM before the return drive.
