Hobbs to Anthony is 251.6 miles and takes about 4h 44m via US Highway 62, with a fuel budget near $36 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Mexico, connecting two points in the Desert Southwest region. Expect a mixed driving experience with about half on highways and half on surface roads. It's a manageable drive for a single day, suitable for those looking for a direct connection between these two locations without extensive detours.
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
125.8 miles from Hobbs, NM
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 20m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US Highway 62
102.3 mi
1h 46m
West Carlsbad Highway
39.6 mi
45m
National Parks Highway
33.5 mi
37m
Purple Heart Memorial Freeway
24.3 mi
31m
Hobbs Highway
20.4 mi
21m
Montana Avenue
12.3 mi
15m
East Greene Street
6.5 mi
8m
Doniphan Drive
4.9 mi
7m
Longest stretch:
US Highway 62
— 102.3 mi, about 1h 46m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hobbs, NM and Anthony, NM.
1
Start on North Turner Street
0.4 mi·47 sec·North Turner Street
2
Turn right onto US 62; US 180
2.5 mi·2 min·West Marland Boulevard
3
Continue on US 62; US 180
40 mi·45 min·West Carlsbad Highway
4
Continue on US 62; US 180
20 mi·21 min·Hobbs Highway
5
Continue on US 62; US 180
6.5 mi·8 min·East Greene Street
6
Turn left onto US 62; US 180; US 285
2.0 mi·2 min·South Canal Street
7
Turn slight right onto US 62; US 180
34 mi·37 min·National Parks Highway
8
Continue on US 62; US 180
102 mi·1 hr 46 min·US Highway 62
9
Continue on US 62; US 180
12 mi·15 min·Montana Avenue
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·39 sec
Toward Loop 375 North
11
Merge onto Loop 375
24 mi·31 min·Purple Heart Memorial Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto Loop 375
0.8 mi·1 min·Talbot Avenue
13
At end of road, turn right onto TX 20
4.9 mi·7 min·Doniphan Drive
14
Continue on TX 20
1.6 mi·2 min·South Main Street
15
Enter roundabout onto NM 460
106 ft·1 sec·South Anthony Drive
16
Continue on NM 460
115 ft·4 sec·South Anthony Drive
17
Turn right onto Miller Street
177 ft·12 sec·Miller Street
18
Turn left
107 ft·7 sec
19
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 44m drive time, leaving Hobbs in the morning should allow you to reach Anthony with plenty of daylight. With only one recommended stop and a total distance of 251.6 miles, you have flexibility in pacing. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially during the 102.3-mile stretch on US Highway 62, as services might be more spread out in this part of the Desert Southwest. The $36 fuel estimate is a good baseline for planning your budget.
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 125.8 miles from Hobbs, NM, or about 2h 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 102.3 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 55 miles or 1h 2m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 125.8 miles or 2h 20m 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 43m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Anthony, NM than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Hobbs, 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 Hobbs, NM
This is one driving day of about 251.6 miles and 4h 44m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 55 miles from Hobbs, 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 Highway 62 for about 102.3 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 251.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.4 mi into trip|~0m in|US 62; US 180 / West Marland Boulevard
Turn right onto US 62; US 180 / West Marland Boulevard
Navigation decision point
4
219.6 mi into trip|~4h in
Take the exit toward Loop 375 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Loop 375 North
5
219.9 mi into trip|~4h in|Loop 375 / Purple Heart Memorial Freeway
Merge onto Loop 375 / Purple Heart Memorial Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
245 mi into trip|~4h 34m in|TX 20 / Doniphan Drive
At end of road, turn right onto TX 20 / Doniphan Drive
Navigation decision point
4
251.5 mi into trip|~4h 44m in|NM 460 / South Anthony Drive
Enter roundabout onto NM 460 / South Anthony Drive
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$39.17 one way
$78.33 round trip
$3.95/gal25.4 MPG avg88 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$43.18
$86.36
premium
$4.71
$46.66
$93.33
diesel
$6.18
$61.21
$122.41
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$39
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$64–$89
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 88 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $26 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
75.5
0
$26.42
$12.08
Efficient EV
62.9
0
$22.02
$10.06
EV Truck/SUV
100.6
1
$35.22
$16.10
Gas CO2
88 kg
EV CO2
29 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
Hobbs, NM
Late night
in Hobbs on Monday
Local time
1:11 AM
MDT
Current temp
38°F
Mostly Clear
S 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Anthony, NM
Late night
in Anthony on Monday
Local time
1:11 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
ENE 3 mph18% chanceLive forecast
57°F
Carlsbad, NM
126 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
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
4h 44m 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.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
National Park
High ancient sea ledges, deep rocky canyons, flowering cactus, and desert wildlife—treasures above the ground in the Chihuahuan Desert. Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 caves—formed when s...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 50% highway share, meaning you'll transition between faster-paced highway driving and more local surface roads. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 102.3 miles on US Highway 62 before it shifts to West Carlsbad Highway and then National Parks Highway. Expect a mix of profiles, with some sections likely offering more open cruising and others involving more interaction with local traffic and potentially more intersections as you move between highway and surface road segments.
50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 102.3 mi on US Highway 62.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near US 62; US 180 / West Marland Boulevard.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 44m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (US 62; US 180 / West Marland Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 219.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 219.9 miles (Loop 375 / Purple Heart Memorial Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
5,421 ft3,131 ft
Total Climb
4,097 ft
Total Descent
3,920 ft
Highest Point
5,421 ft
~126 mi in
Elevation Range
2,290 ft
Notable High Points
5,421 ft at ~126 miles+1,257 ft prominence
5,144 ft at ~197.9 miles+526 ft prominence
4,125 ft at ~233.9 miles+103 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 Hobbs, NM to Anthony, NM, road signs begin pointing toward Loop 375 North along the way.
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 102.3 miles on US Highway 62. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 8 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.
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: at 0.4 miles (US 62; US 180 / West Marland Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 219.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 219.9 miles (Loop 375 / Purple Heart Memorial Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Carlsbad Caverns National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.7 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.5 hours — manageable with a long break at Anthony, NM, but most travelers stay overnight.
