Origin
Moriarty, NM
Night in Moriarty on Friday
Local time
11:52 PM
MDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Moriarty, NM to Santa Fe, NM
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
52.2 mi
84 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Moriarty, NM
Israyosoy S.
Santa Fe, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Moriarty to Santa Fe is 52.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes via State Road 41 and US 285, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Desert Southwest region of New Mexico, offering a straightforward connection between two points. It's a practical route primarily on surface roads, making it suitable for a relaxed day trip or a quick hop. Given the limited duration and distance, you'll have plenty of time to explore Santa Fe upon arrival without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Road 41 | 33.4 mi | 46m |
| US 285 | 7.1 mi | 10m |
| I 25 | 5.9 mi | 5m |
| Old Pecos Trail | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Howard Cavazos Boulevard South | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Old Santa Fe Trail | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Howard Cavazos Boulevard North | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Center Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
State Road 41
— 33.4 mi, about 46m
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,077 veh/hr typical · worst 1,341
Quietest
2 AM
~42 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
25.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 78 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 Moriarty, NM and Santa Fe, NM.
1
Start on 4th Street
141 ft
·
8 sec
·
4th Street
2
Turn right onto Center Avenue
292 ft
·
10 sec
·
Center Avenue
3
Turn right onto NM 41
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Howard Cavazos Boulevard South
4
Continue on NM 41
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Howard Cavazos Boulevard North
5
Continue on NM 41
33 mi
·
46 min
·
State Road 41
6
At end of road, turn left onto US 285
6.9 mi
·
9 min
·
US 285
7
Turn left onto US 285
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
US 285
8
Merge onto I 25
5.9 mi
·
5 min
·
I 25
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward NM 466: Old Pecos Trail
10
Keep slight right at fork
499 ft
·
13 sec
11
Turn straight onto NM 466
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Pecos Trail
12
Keep slight right at fork onto Old Pecos Trail
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Old Pecos Trail
13
Continue on Old Santa Fe Trail
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Santa Fe Trail
14
At end of road, turn left onto East Water Street
117 ft
·
9 sec
·
East Water Street
15
Turn right onto Old Santa Fe Trail
336 ft
·
19 sec
·
Old Santa Fe Trail
16
Turn right onto East San Francisco Street
95 ft
·
2 sec
·
East 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
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.1 miles from Moriarty, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 52.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Center Avenue
Turn right onto Center Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NM 41 / Howard Cavazos Boulevard South
Turn right onto NM 41 / Howard Cavazos Boulevard South
Navigation decision point
5
48.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
52.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
Old Santa Fe Trail
Turn right onto Old Santa Fe Trail
Navigation decision point
5
52.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
East San Francisco Street
Turn right onto East San Francisco Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.65 one way
$15.29 round trip
$3.72/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.13 | $8.49 | $16.98 |
| premium | $4.49 | $9.22 | $18.44 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $11.51 | $23.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.48 | $2.51 |
| Efficient EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.57 | $2.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.9 | 0 | $7.31 | $3.34 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Night in Santa Fe on Friday
Local time
11:52 PM
MDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
6 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
1h 15m 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?
This route is primarily surface roads for about 75% of the drive, with approximately 25% on highways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 33.4 miles on State Road 41 before transitioning to other main roads. Expect a rural cruising feel for much of the way, with fewer exits and more open stretches compared to a full interstate experience. The change from surface roads to highways will be noticeable as you integrate with busier traffic.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 33.4 mi on State Road 41.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Center Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 52.2 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Center Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (NM 41 / Howard Cavazos Boulevard South): Navigation decision point; at 48.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
7,283 ft
6,077 ft
Total Climb
1,536 ft
Total Descent
758 ft
Highest Point
7,283 ft
~44.9 mi in
Elevation Range
1,207 ft
Notable High Points
6,540 ft at ~18.7 miles
+118 ft prominence
7,283 ft at ~44.9 miles
+177 ft prominence
About the Cities
Starting in Moriarty, NM
Full guide →Moriarty is a town in Central New Mexico.
Arriving in Santa Fe, NM
Full guide →Founded 1610
Santa Fe, founded in 1607, is the capital of the state of New Mexico and its principal tourist destination, renowned for its confluence of scenic beauty, long history (at least by American standards), cultural diversity, and extraordinary concentration of arts, music and fine dining. With an elevation of 7,000 ft (2,100 m), it is not only the United States' oldest state capital but its highest, sitting at the foot of the spectacular Sangre de Cristo Mountains. And with a population of about 85,000 (2019), it's not the most populous capital, but that's part of its charm.
Top landmarks
- • San Miguel Mission — historic adobe church
- • Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi — cathedral in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
- • Palace of the Governors — building in Santa Fe
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 52.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 33.4 miles on State Road 41. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Santa Fe, NM before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: near the start (Center Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (NM 41 / Howard Cavazos Boulevard South): Navigation decision point; at 48.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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