Origin
Santa Fe, NM
Late night in Santa Fe on Tuesday
Local time
4:58 AM
MDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Fe, NM to South Valley, NM
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 29m
Distance
72.2 mi
116 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 23m
★
6 AM
1h 30m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 43m
8 PM
1h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Fe, NM
Wikimedia Commons
South Valley, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Santa Fe, NM to South Valley, NM covers 72.2 miles and takes about 1h 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 25, Old Pecos Trail, Rio Bravo Boulevard Southeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 62.9 miles on I 25. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.58 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 25 | 62.9 mi | 1h 5m |
| Old Pecos Trail | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Rio Bravo Boulevard Southeast | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Isleta Boulevard Southwest | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Old Santa Fe Trail | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Cathedral Place | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Alameda Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East San Francisco Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 25
— 62.9 mi, about 1h 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Fe, NM and South Valley, NM.
1
Start on East San Francisco Street
294 ft
·
11 sec
·
East San Francisco Street
2
Turn right onto Cathedral Place
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Cathedral Place
3
At end of road, turn right onto East Alameda Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
East Alameda Street
4
Turn left onto Old Santa Fe Trail
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Santa Fe Trail
5
Continue on Old Pecos Trail
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Old Pecos Trail
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 25 South: Albuquerque
7
Merge onto I 25
63 mi
·
1 hr 5 min
·
I 25
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 220
Toward NM 500: Rio Bravo Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward Rail Runner Station
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn straight onto NM 500
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Rio Bravo Boulevard Southeast
11
Turn left onto Isleta Boulevard Southwest
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Isleta Boulevard Southwest
12
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
50 sec
13
Turn left
0.7 mi
·
7 min
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 36.1 miles from Santa Fe, NM, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 25 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 62.9 miles.
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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 67.3 — 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
|
Cathedral Place
Turn right onto Cathedral Place
Navigation decision point
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Alameda Street
At end of road, turn right onto East Alameda Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
4.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 25
Merge onto I 25
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
66.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward NM 500: Rio Bravo Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 220
Toward NM 500: Rio Bravo Boulevard
7
67.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Rail Runner Station
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Rail Runner Station
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.58 one way
$21.15 round trip
$3.72/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.13 | $11.74 | $23.48 |
| premium | $4.49 | $12.75 | $25.50 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $15.92 | $31.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.7 | 0 | $7.58 | $3.47 |
| Efficient EV | 18.1 | 0 | $6.32 | $2.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.9 | 0 | $10.11 | $4.62 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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
South Valley, NM
Late night in South Valley on Tuesday
Local time
4:58 AM
MDT
Current temp
88°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
68°F
Placitas, NM
36 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
7 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 29m 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?
72.2 mi in 1h 29m, mostly highway — 62.9 mi of that is on I 25.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 62.9 mi on I 25.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 25 and Old Pecos Trail. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Cathedral Place.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 72.2 miles you will encounter 9 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: at 0.1 miles (Cathedral Place): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (East Alameda Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 4.1 miles (I 25): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
6,998 ft
4,932 ft
Total Climb
193 ft
Total Descent
2,258 ft
Highest Point
6,998 ft
Elevation Range
2,065 ft
Notable High Points
6,143 ft at ~20.6 miles
+56 ft prominence
5,493 ft at ~31 miles
+10 ft prominence
5,196 ft at ~56.8 miles
+32 ft prominence
5,110 ft at ~67.1 miles
+55 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Santa Fe, NM to South Valley, NM, road signs begin pointing toward Rail Runner Station along the way.
Rail Runner Station
67.3 mi in
|
~1h 14m
About the Cities
Starting 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 29m. Total distance: 72.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 62.9 miles on I 25. 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 0.1 miles (Cathedral Place): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (East Alameda Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 4.1 miles (I 25): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Petroglyph National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park and Bandelier National Monument (4 total within detour distance). 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 South Valley, 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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