Portales, NM to Anthony, NM is 298.3 miles and takes about 6h via US 70, with a fuel budget near $45 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Desert Southwest region, offering a consistent landscape for the entire trip. With a recommended one-day drive, you'll experience a mix of highway and surface roads, making it a straightforward transit between these two New Mexico communities. Consider this route if you're looking for an efficient way to cover ground within the state 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
149.1 miles from Portales, NM
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 70
154.2 mi
2h 56m
West 2nd Street
100.6 mi
2h 7m
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
17 mi
17m
US 54
13.6 mi
17m
I 25
7.7 mi
10m
Anthony Drive
1.5 mi
2m
North Bookout Road
1.5 mi
2m
East O'Hara Road
0.8 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
US 70
— 154.2 mi, about 2h 56m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Portales, NM and Anthony, NM.
1
Start on NM 88
183 ft·4 sec·East 3rd Street
2
Continue on NM 88
0.1 mi·17 sec·South Abilene Avenue
3
Turn left onto US 70
0.7 mi·2 min·East 1st Street
4
Continue on US 70
1.0 mi·1 min·West 2nd Street
5
Continue on US 70
91 mi·1 hr 45 min·US 70
6
Turn right onto US 70; US 380
100 mi·2 hr 6 min·West 2nd Street
Use the straight lane.
7
Turn left onto North Bookout Road
1.5 mi·2 min·North Bookout Road
8
Turn left onto US 54; US 70
8.7 mi·10 min·US 54; US 70
9
Take the exit onto US 54; US 70
4.9 mi·7 min·US 54; US 70
10
Take the exit onto US 70
63 mi·1 hr 11 min·US 70
Use the straight lane.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
12
Merge onto I 25
7.7 mi·10 min·I 25
13
Merge onto I 10
17 mi·17 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi·33 sec
Toward NM 404: Anthony, Chaparral
15
Turn right onto NM 404
0.8 mi·1 min·East O'Hara Road
16
Turn left onto NM 460
1.5 mi·2 min·Anthony Drive
17
Enter roundabout onto NM 460
409 ft·6 sec·South Anthony Drive
18
Continue on NM 460
115 ft·4 sec·South Anthony Drive
19
Turn right onto Miller Street
177 ft·12 sec·Miller Street
20
Turn left
107 ft·7 sec
21
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
For this 6-hour drive, leaving Portales in the morning is advisable to maximize daylight. The single recommended stop suggests planning it strategically around the halfway point or when you need to refuel. Given the 298.3-mile distance and a fuel cost estimated at $45, it’s wise to fill up before departing Portales. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the longest 154.2-mile stretch on US 70, as services can be spaced out in this region.
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 149.1 miles from Portales, NM, or about 3h into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 154.2 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 66 miles or 1h 18m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 149.1 miles or 3h 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 57m
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 Portales, 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 Portales, NM
This is one driving day of about 298.3 miles and 6h.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 66 miles from Portales, 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 70 for about 154.2 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 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 296.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|US 70 / East 1st Street
Turn left onto US 70 / East 1st Street
Navigation decision point
5
93.3 mi into trip|~1h 49m in|US 70; US 380 / West 2nd Street
Turn right onto US 70; US 380 / West 2nd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
207.9 mi into trip|~4h 16m in|US 70
Take the exit onto US 70
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
295.6 mi into trip|~5h 55m in
Take the exit toward NM 404: Anthony, Chaparral
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward NM 404: Anthony, Chaparral
4
296.6 mi into trip|~5h 57m in|NM 460 / Anthony Drive
Turn left onto NM 460 / Anthony Drive
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$45.05 one way
$90.10 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg104 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$49.45
$98.91
premium
$4.56
$53.54
$107.08
diesel
$5.61
$65.86
$131.72
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$45
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$70–$95
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 104.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $31 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
89.5
1
$31.32
$14.32
Efficient EV
74.6
0
$26.10
$11.93
EV Truck/SUV
119.3
1
$41.76
$19.09
Gas CO2
104 kg
EV CO2
35 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 Apr 20, 2026
Origin
Portales, NM
Late night
in Portales on Tuesday
Local time
3:23 AM
MDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Anthony, NM
Late night
in Anthony on Tuesday
Local time
3:23 AM
MDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live 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
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
6h 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.
White Sands National Park
National Park
Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles...
8 mi from route
~20 min detour
$25
near mile 226.3
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend 59% of this 298.3-mile trip on highways, with the longest uninterrupted highway stretch measuring 154.2 miles on US 70. Expect to transition from highway cruising to surface roads, with the profile described as mixed highway and surface. This means you'll encounter varied driving conditions, including potential for more exits and slower speeds as you approach destinations.
59% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 154.2 mi on US 70.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 0.1 miles in near US 70 / East 1st Street.
Driving Effort4/10
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, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 14 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 70 / East 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 93.3 miles (US 70; US 380 / West 2nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 207.9 miles (US 70): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Portales is a small, fairly quiet college and agricultural town in Southeast New Mexico, United States. Home of Eastern New Mexico University. Nearest sizable town is Clovis; close to Cannon Air Force Base. Located almost adjacent to the Texas border. 90 miles from Roswell of UFO fame.
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 154.2 miles on US 70. 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.
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 Anthony, NM 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 8 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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 0.1 miles (US 70 / East 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 93.3 miles (US 70; US 380 / West 2nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 207.9 miles (US 70): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — White Sands National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.0 hours each way, a round trip means 12.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Anthony, NM before the return drive.
