Portales to Causey is 33.2 miles and takes about 44 minutes via South Avenue D and NM 114, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Desert Southwest region, primarily in New Mexico. Expect a straightforward drive that's easy to fit into a larger travel plan, whether you're starting your day or looking for a quick transit between towns. It's a practical segment for those familiar with the area or needing to reach their destination without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
South Avenue D
16.6 mi
20m
NM 114
16 mi
22m
South Avenue C
0.4 mi
1m
East 3rd Street
0.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
South Avenue D
— 16.6 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Portales, NM and Causey, NM.
1
Start on NM 88
6 ft·0 sec·East 3rd Street
2
Continue on East 3rd Street
0.3 mi·1 min·East 3rd Street
3
Turn left onto NM 206
0.3 mi·56 sec·South Avenue C
4
Continue on NM 206
394 ft·13 sec·South Avenue C
5
Continue on NM 206
17 mi·20 min·South Avenue D
6
Turn left onto NM 114
16 mi·22 min·NM 114
7
Arrive at destination
NM 114
Heads-up: tricky spots
2 of 2
2 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 17.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|NM 206 / South Avenue C
Turn left onto NM 206 / South Avenue C
Navigation decision point
3
17.2 mi into trip|~22m in|NM 114
Turn left onto NM 114
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.61 one way
$9.22 round trip
$3.53/gal25.4 MPG avg12 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$3.95
$5.16
$10.31
premium
$4.29
$5.61
$11.21
diesel
$4.80
$6.27
$12.54
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
10
0
$3.49
$1.59
Efficient EV
8.3
0
$2.91
$1.33
EV Truck/SUV
13.3
0
$4.65
$2.12
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.
Forecast as of Jun 28, 2026
Origin
Portales, NM
Evening
in Portales on Saturday
Local time
8:00 PM
MDT
Current temp
70°F
Partly Cloudy
S 15 to 20 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued June 27 at 11:38PM MDT until June 28 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued June 27 at 8:03PM MDT until June 28 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM
Destination
Causey, NM
Evening
in Causey on Saturday
Local time
8:00 PM
MDT
Current temp
69°F
Partly Cloudy
S 15 to 20 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued June 27 at 11:38PM MDT until June 28 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued June 27 at 8:03PM MDT until June 28 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
44m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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 offers a mix of highway and surface road driving, with 48% of the 33.2 miles on highways. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch of 16.6 miles on South Avenue D before transitioning to NM 114. The latter part of the drive will feel more like rural cruising as you move between towns. The road surface is generally mixed, so be prepared for variations.
48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.6 mi on South Avenue D.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near NM 206 / South Avenue C.
Driving Effort1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Portales, NM to Causey, NM is easy. At 44m with 48% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (NM 206 / South Avenue C): Navigation decision point; at 17.2 miles (NM 114): Navigation decision point.
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.
Top landmarks
•Administration Building — historic building at Eastern New Mexico University, USA
•Portales Main Post Office — post office in Portales, New Mexico, United States
•Bank of Portales — bank building in Portales, New Mexico
The longest stretch is about 16.6 miles on South Avenue D. 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 0.3 miles (NM 206 / South Avenue C): Navigation decision point; at 17.2 miles (NM 114): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Causey, NM before heading back.
