Hobbs, NM to Moriarty, NM is 280.4 miles and takes about 5h 47m via South Main Street, with a fuel budget near $41 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Desert Southwest, traveling entirely within New Mexico. Expect a drive that's largely on surface roads, offering a more relaxed pace compared to interstate cruising. With only one recommended stop and a manageable duration, this route is well-suited for a single day of travel.
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
140.2 miles from Hobbs, NM
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 4m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
South Main Street
113.3 mi
2h 13m
NM Highway 529
31.2 mi
46m
Southeast Main Street
30 mi
35m
Lovington Highway
29.1 mi
43m
Shenrick Street
27.5 mi
31m
I 40
21.2 mi
21m
West Carlsbad Highway
12 mi
13m
Roswell Highway
7.2 mi
8m
Longest stretch:
South Main Street
— 113.3 mi, about 2h 13m
Traffic on I-40
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 50 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~3,021 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,556
Quietest
2 AM
~333 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.1×
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 Hobbs, NM and Moriarty, 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
12 mi·13 min·West Carlsbad Highway
4
Turn right onto NM 529
31 mi·46 min·NM Highway 529
5
At end of road, turn left onto US 82
29 mi·43 min·Lovington Highway
6
Continue on US 82
2.1 mi·3 min·East Main Street
7
Turn right onto US 285
2.0 mi·2 min·North 1st Street
8
Continue on US 285
7.2 mi·8 min·Roswell Highway
9
Continue on US 285
30 mi·35 min·Southeast Main Street
10
Continue on US 285
113 mi·2 hr 13 min·South Main Street
11
Continue on US 60; US 285
28 mi·31 min·Shenrick Street
12
Turn left
0.2 mi·28 sec
Use the left lane.
13
Merge onto I 40
21 mi·21 min·I 40
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Toward NM 41
15
Turn left onto NM 41
0.3 mi·31 sec·Howard Cavazos Boulevard North
16
Continue on NM 41
1.1 mi·2 min·Howard Cavazos Boulevard South
17
Turn left onto Center Avenue
292 ft·13 sec·Center Avenue
18
Turn left onto 4th Street
141 ft·6 sec·4th Street
19
Arrive at destination
4th Street
Trip Plan
Starting your drive from Hobbs in the morning is a good plan, allowing you to cover the 280.4 miles to Moriarty with ample daylight. Given the 5h 47m estimated drive time, you can comfortably complete this in one day. Keep an eye on your fuel as you'll be on surface roads for the majority of the trip; the estimated $41 fuel cost is a helpful guide. Plan for one stop to break up the drive, perhaps around the halfway point, to stretch your legs and refuel if needed.
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 140.2 miles from Hobbs, NM, or about 3h 4m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 113.3 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 62 miles or 1h 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 140.2 miles or 3h 4m 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 49m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Moriarty, 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 280.4 miles and 5h 47m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 62 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 South Main Street for about 113.3 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 278.6 — 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
46.1 mi into trip|~1h 3m in|US 82 / Lovington Highway
At end of road, turn left onto US 82 / Lovington Highway
Navigation decision point
4
77.3 mi into trip|~1h 50m in|US 285 / North 1st Street
Turn right onto US 285 / North 1st Street
Navigation decision point
6
257.2 mi into trip|~5h 21m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
278.6 mi into trip|~5h 43m in
Take the exit toward NM 41
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward NM 41
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$43.65 one way
$87.30 round trip
$3.95/gal25.4 MPG avg98 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$48.12
$96.24
premium
$4.71
$52.01
$104.01
diesel
$6.18
$68.21
$136.42
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$44
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$69–$94
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 98.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
84.1
1
$29.44
$13.46
Efficient EV
70.1
0
$24.54
$11.22
EV Truck/SUV
112.2
1
$39.26
$17.95
Gas CO2
98 kg
EV CO2
33 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
Hobbs, NM
Night
in Hobbs on Sunday
Local time
11:59 PM
MDT
Current temp
38°F
Mostly Clear
S 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Moriarty, NM
Night
in Moriarty on Sunday
Local time
11:59 PM
MDT
Current temp
31°F
Mostly Clear
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
73°F
Roswell, NM
140 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
7 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 47m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 19% highway share, meaning you'll spend most of your time on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on South Main Street covers 113.3 miles. After this, you'll transition to other surface roads, primarily NM Highway 529 and Southeast Main Street. You can expect a predominantly rural cruising experience.
Only 19% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 113.3 mi on South Main Street.
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 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 5h 47m 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: at 0.4 miles (US 62; US 180 / West Marland Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 46.1 miles (US 82 / Lovington Highway): Navigation decision point; at 77.3 miles (US 285 / North 1st Street): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 113.3 miles on South Main Street. 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.
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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
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 46.1 miles (US 82 / Lovington Highway): Navigation decision point; at 77.3 miles (US 285 / North 1st Street): Navigation decision point.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.8 hours each way, a round trip means 11.6 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Moriarty, NM before the return drive.
