Origin
Los Alamos, NM
Morning in Los Alamos on Sunday
Local time
8:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Los Alamos, NM to Santa Fe, NM
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
35.1 mi
57 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Los Alamos, NM
MIGUEL ANGEL CABAÑAS
Santa Fe, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 36.4-mile drive from Los Alamos to Santa Fe, New Mexico, is estimated to take about 47 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll navigate primarily on local roads like Diamond Drive, Canyon Road, and Central Avenue, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is a modest $6. Given its brevity and the turn-heavy local drive profile, this route is best enjoyed without needing an overnight stay. It's a straightforward connection within the Desert Southwest region, offering a quick transition between two New Mexico destinations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NM 502 | 8.7 mi | 11m |
| US 84/285 | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| East Road | 4.8 mi | 7m |
| Taos Highway | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| NM 4 | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| North Saint Francis Drive | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Central Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Santa Fe Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
NM 502
— 8.7 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Los Alamos, NM and Santa Fe, NM.
1
Start on Orange Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Orange Street
2
Turn left onto NM 501
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Diamond Drive
3
Turn left onto Canyon Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Canyon Road
4
Continue on Central Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
5
Enter roundabout onto NM 502
153 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Road
6
Continue on NM 502
4.8 mi
·
7 min
·
East Road
7
Continue on NM 4
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
NM 4
8
Continue on NM 502
8.7 mi
·
11 min
·
NM 502
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
10
Merge onto US 84; US 285
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Fe Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Continue on US 84; US 285
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Taos Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
12
Continue on US 84; US 285
7.5 mi
·
8 min
·
US 84/285
13
Continue on US 84; US 285
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Saint Francis Drive
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward Guadalupe Street
15
Continue on North Guadalupe Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Guadalupe Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
16
Turn left onto West San Francisco Street
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
West San Francisco Street
17
Arrive at destination
East San Francisco Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.6 miles from Los Alamos, NM, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 33.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
NM 501 / Diamond Drive
Turn left onto NM 501 / Diamond Drive
Navigation decision point
4
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Canyon Road
Turn left onto Canyon Road
Navigation decision point
5
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
NM 502 / East Road
Enter roundabout onto NM 502 / East Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
19.2 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
US 84; US 285 / Santa Fe Highway
Merge onto US 84; US 285 / Santa Fe Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
33.8 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward Guadalupe Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Guadalupe Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.30 one way
$10.60 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $5.82 | $11.64 |
| premium | $4.56 | $6.30 | $12.60 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.75 | $15.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.69 | $1.68 |
| Efficient EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.07 | $1.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14 | 0 | $4.91 | $2.25 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
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.
Destination
Santa Fe, NM
Morning in Santa Fe on Sunday
Local time
8:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
68°F
White Rock, NM
18 mi in
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
51m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with a 0% highway share. You won't encounter long stretches of uninterrupted driving; instead, your journey will be characterized by frequent turns and navigation through local streets. The main roads you'll follow include Diamond Drive, Canyon Road, and Central Avenue. This dynamic suggests a more engaging driving experience, akin to navigating through towns rather than a monotonous highway cruise. The absence of a longest uninterrupted stretch further emphasizes the stop-and-go, locally focused nature of this drive.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.7 mi on NM 502.
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 0.7 miles in near NM 501 / Diamond Drive.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 51m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (NM 501 / Diamond Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (Canyon Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (NM 502 / East Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
7,246 ft
5,550 ft
Total Climb
1,720 ft
Total Descent
1,944 ft
Highest Point
7,246 ft
~2.5 mi in
Elevation Range
1,696 ft
Notable High Points
7,246 ft at ~2.5 miles
+25 ft prominence
7,245 ft at ~32.6 miles
+247 ft prominence
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 35.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.7 miles on NM 502. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
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 0.7 miles (NM 501 / Diamond Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (Canyon Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (NM 502 / East Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes — Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Bandelier National Monument and Pecos National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Santa Fe, NM before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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