Hawthorne, NV to Henderson, NV is 318.2 miles and takes about 6h 9m via Veterans Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $63 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Mountain West region, traversing Nevada entirely. The route primarily utilizes surface roads, offering a more leisurely pace compared to interstate travel. With a single recommended stop and a longest stretch of nearly 230 miles, it's a straightforward trip for a single day of driving.
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
159.1 miles from Hawthorne, NV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 8m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Veterans Memorial Highway
229.9 mi
4h 11m
Silver Peak Road
45.6 mi
57m
Purple Heart Highway
28 mi
32m
East Main Street
6.2 mi
8m
North Boulder Highway
2.9 mi
5m
Front Street
1.2 mi
3m
West Galleria Drive
1.1 mi
2m
Plymire Street
0.9 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Veterans Memorial Highway
— 229.9 mi, about 4h 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hawthorne, NV and Henderson, NV.
1
Start on this road
11 ft·6 sec·this road
2
Turn left onto US 95
83 ft·10 sec·North E Street
3
Turn left onto US 95
0.5 mi·1 min·East 5th Street
4
Continue on US 95
24 mi·26 min·Veterans Memorial Highway
5
Continue on US 95
0.9 mi·2 min·Plymire Street
6
Continue on US 95
7.8 mi·8 min·Veterans Memorial Highway
7
Continue on US 95
1.2 mi·3 min·Front Street
8
Continue on US 95
35 mi·37 min·Veterans Memorial Highway
9
Turn right onto NV 265
21 mi·22 min·Silver Peak Road
10
Turn left onto Cinnabar Way
0.1 mi·27 sec·Cinnabar Way
11
Turn left onto Silver Peak Road
17 mi·23 min·Silver Peak Road
12
Continue on 3457
7.5 mi·11 min·Silver Peak Road
13
Turn right onto US 95
4.4 mi·5 min·Veterans Memorial Highway
14
Continue on US 95
0.5 mi·1 min·West Crook Avenue
15
Continue on US 95
0.4 mi·1 min·South Sundog Avenue
16
Continue on US 95
60 mi·1 hr 4 min·Veterans Memorial Highway
17
Continue on US 95
6.2 mi·8 min·East Main Street
18
Turn left onto US 95
0.2 mi·41 sec·South 2nd Street
19
Continue on US 95
99 mi·1 hr 49 min·Veterans Memorial Highway
20
Continue on I 11; US 95
28 mi·32 min·Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Take the exit
0.4 mi·43 sec
Exit 64BToward Galleria DriveUse the slight right lane.
22
Turn left onto West Galleria Drive
1.1 mi·2 min·West Galleria Drive
Use the left / straight lanes.
23
Turn right onto North Boulder Highway
2.9 mi·5 min·North Boulder Highway
Use the left lane.
24
Continue on South Boulder Highway
141 ft·8 sec·South Boulder Highway
Use the left lane.
25
Arrive at destination
North Boulder Highway
Trip Plan
Consider an early morning departure from Hawthorne to make the most of the daylight for this 6-hour drive. Your longest stretch on Veterans Memorial Highway is nearly 230 miles, so plan for any necessary fuel or rest stops before you hit that point. With only one recommended stop, you have flexibility in how you pace yourself. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as services can be spread out on these longer stretches of surface roads.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 159.1 miles from Hawthorne, NV, or about 3h 8m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 229.9 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 70 miles or 1h 20m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 159.1 miles or 3h 8m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 2m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Henderson, NV than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Hawthorne, NV 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 Hawthorne, NV
This is one driving day of about 318.2 miles and 6h 9m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 70 miles from Hawthorne, NV.
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 Veterans Memorial Highway for about 229.9 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 315.2 — 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|US 95 / North E Street
Turn left onto US 95 / North E Street
Navigation decision point
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 95 / East 5th Street
Turn left onto US 95 / East 5th Street
Navigation decision point
4
186.4 mi into trip|~3h 39m in|US 95 / South 2nd Street
Turn left onto US 95 / South 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
7
313.6 mi into trip|~6h 1m in
Take the exit toward Galleria Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 64B
Toward Galleria Drive
5
315.2 mi into trip|~6h 4m in|North Boulder Highway
Turn right onto North Boulder Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$56.39 one way
$112.77 round trip
$4.50/gal25.4 MPG avg111 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.82
$60.38
$120.77
premium
$5.04
$63.16
$126.33
diesel
$4.80
$60.08
$120.16
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$56
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$81–$106
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 111.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
95.5
1
$33.41
$15.27
Efficient EV
79.6
0
$27.84
$12.73
EV Truck/SUV
127.3
1
$44.55
$20.36
Gas CO2
111 kg
EV CO2
37 kg (67% 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 Jul 17, 2026
Origin
Hawthorne, NV
Morning
in Hawthorne on Monday
Local time
6:21 AM
PDT
Current temp
97°F
Sunny
N 0 to 10 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Henderson, NV
Morning
in Henderson on Monday
Local time
6:21 AM
PDT
Current temp
99°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
S 10 mph35% 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
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
6h 9m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
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.
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
National Monument
Over the last ~570,000 years, water has transformed the Upper Las Vegas Valley. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is an urban park that preserves the unique story of this ever-changing enviro...
4 mi from route
~9 min detour
Free
near mile 285.3
Park Closure: South Unit temporarily closed south of Grand Teton Drive; Trailheads remain open.
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend 0% of this trip on highways, with the entirety of the 318.2 miles on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch without a break from the main path is 229.9 miles along Veterans Memorial Highway. Expect a rural cruising feel for most of this drive, as you'll be navigating local roads for the entire duration.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 229.9 mi on Veterans Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 95 / North E Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 9m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 11 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 95 / North E Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (US 95 / East 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 186.4 miles (US 95 / South 2nd Street): Navigation decision point.
Hawthorne is a city of 3,300 people in Nevada at the south end of Walker Lake.
Hawthorne and its adjacent former town Babbitt provide housing for the nearby Hawthorne Army Depot (switching to Mapnik on the map settings below clearly demonstrates this). The depot stores munitions in widely-spaced bunkers in reserve for a major conflict.
Top landmarks
•Hawthorne USO Building — place in Nevada listed on National Register of Historic Places
•Mineral County Museum
•Hawthorne Ordnance Museum — museum in Nevada, United States
Henderson is the second largest city in Nevada. The border between Henderson and Las Vegas has become virtually nonexistent: one city butts up against the other. This article covers Henderson, and Las Vegas east of the Strip and south of the airport.
Top landmarks
•Clark County Heritage Museum — archive organization in Henderson, Nevada, United States
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 229.9 miles on Veterans Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 4 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.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Henderson, NV before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 4 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through NV 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 95 / North E Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (US 95 / East 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 186.4 miles (US 95 / South 2nd Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.2 hours each way, a round trip means 12.3 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Henderson, NV before the return drive.
