Origin
Rio Rancho, NM
Night in Rio Rancho on Saturday
Local time
10:42 PM
MDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rio Rancho, NM to Edgewood, NM
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
38.5 mi
62 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rio Rancho, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Edgewood, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 38.5-mile drive from Rio Rancho to Edgewood, New Mexico, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 54 minutes. You'll primarily navigate via the Coronado Freeway and Alameda Boulevard Northwest, with a significant portion (70% highway share) of your journey on these main roads. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $6, making it an economical option for a short excursion. Given its brevity and the Desert Southwest regions of both your origin and destination, this route is ideal for a quick trip without the need for an overnight stay, allowing for maximum flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Coronado Freeway | 24.8 mi | 27m |
| Alameda Boulevard Northwest | 4.1 mi | 8m |
| San Mateo Boulevard Northeast | 3.4 mi | 7m |
| Pan American Freeway | 2 mi | 2m |
| New Mexico State Road 528 | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Pat D'Arco Highway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Sara Road Southeast | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| NM-344 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Coronado Freeway
— 24.8 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rio Rancho, NM and Edgewood, NM.
1
Start on 35th Circle Southeast
143 ft
·
8 sec
·
35th Circle Southeast
2
Turn right onto Sara Road Southeast
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Sara Road Southeast
3
Turn right onto NM 528
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Pat D'Arco Highway
4
Keep slight right at fork onto NM 528
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
New Mexico State Road 528
5
Continue on NM 528
4.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Alameda Boulevard Northwest
6
Turn right onto Pan American Freeway Northeast
482 ft
·
9 sec
·
Pan American Freeway Northeast
7
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward I 25 South: Las Cruces
8
Merge onto I 25
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Pan American Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 230
Toward San Mateo Boulevard
Use the right lane.
10
Turn straight onto Osuna Road Northeast
460 ft
·
10 sec
·
Osuna Road Northeast
11
Continue on San Mateo Boulevard Northeast
3.4 mi
·
7 min
·
San Mateo Boulevard Northeast
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
13
Merge onto I 40
25 mi
·
27 min
·
Coronado Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward NM 344: Edgewood
15
Keep slight right at fork
270 ft
·
8 sec
Toward NM 344 South: Historical Route 66
16
Turn right onto NM 344
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
NM-344
17
Continue on NM 344
252 ft
·
13 sec
·
NM-344
18
Arrive at destination
NM 344
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 38.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.3 miles from Rio Rancho, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 38.3 — 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
|
Sara Road Southeast
Turn right onto Sara Road Southeast
Navigation decision point
5
7.2 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 25 / Pan American Freeway
Merge onto I 25 / Pan American Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
9.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward San Mateo Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 230
Toward San Mateo Boulevard
5
13.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
I 40 / Coronado Freeway
Merge onto I 40 / Coronado Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
38.3 mi into trip
|
~53m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NM 344 South: Historical Route 66
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward NM 344 South: Historical Route 66
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.81 one way
$11.63 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $6.38 | $12.77 |
| premium | $4.56 | $6.91 | $13.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.50 | $17.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 62% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.04 | $1.85 |
| Efficient EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.37 | $1.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.4 | 0 | $5.39 | $2.46 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (62% 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
Edgewood, NM
Night in Edgewood on Saturday
Local time
10:42 PM
MDT
Current temp
44°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
5 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
54m 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 highway-focused drive for about 70% of this route, featuring a longest uninterrupted stretch of 24.8 miles on the Coronado Freeway. While much of the journey will be on faster roads, you'll also encounter stretches on Alameda Boulevard Northwest and San Mateo Boulevard Northeast, which may offer a slightly different driving pace. This route provides a blend of efficient travel on main arteries, characteristic of the Desert Southwest, without extensive detours onto smaller local roads. The progression is generally smooth, allowing you to cover the distance efficiently.
70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.8 mi on Coronado Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Coronado Freeway and Alameda Boulevard Northwest. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Sara Road Southeast.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 38.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Sara Road Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 7.2 miles (I 25 / Pan American Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Edgewood, NM
Full guide →Edgewood is a town in Central New Mexico, located east of Albuquerque on the other side of the Sandia Mountains.
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 54m. Total distance: 38.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.8 miles on Coronado Freeway. 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 Edgewood, 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 (Sara Road Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 7.2 miles (I 25 / Pan American Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Petroglyph National Monument. 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 Edgewood, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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