Origin
South Valley, NM
Afternoon in South Valley on Sunday
Local time
2:23 PM
MDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Valley, NM to Albuquerque, NM
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
7.5 mi
12 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Valley, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Albuquerque, NM
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from South Valley to Albuquerque is a quick, straightforward journey covering just 7.5 miles. You can easily complete this drive in about 21 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip that requires no overnight stops. Because the route stays entirely within the Desert Southwest region of New Mexico, you will experience a consistent landscape throughout the short commute. Budgeting is simple, as you should only need about $1 in fuel to make the trip. This is a practical, no-fuss connection between these two points that avoids the stress of long-haul travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Isleta Boulevard Southwest | 4.9 mi | 9m |
| 4th Street Southwest | 1 mi | 2m |
| Avenida Dolores Huerta Southwest | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Arenal Road Southwest | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Central Avenue Northwest | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Isleta Boulevard Southwest
— 4.9 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Valley, NM and Albuquerque, NM.
1
Start on this road
0.7 mi
·
7 min
·
this road
2
Turn right
0.1 mi
·
45 sec
3
Turn right onto Isleta Boulevard Southwest
3.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Isleta Boulevard Southwest
4
Turn right onto Arenal Road Southwest
334 ft
·
6 sec
·
Arenal Road Southwest
5
Turn straight onto Isleta Boulevard Southwest
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Isleta Boulevard Southwest
6
Turn right onto Avenida Dolores Huerta Southwest
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Avenida Dolores Huerta Southwest
7
Turn left onto 4th Street Southwest
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
4th Street Southwest
8
Turn right onto Central Avenue Northwest
145 ft
·
4 sec
·
Central Avenue Northwest
9
Arrive at destination
Central Avenue Northwest
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 7.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.7 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
3
0.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
Isleta Boulevard Southwest
Turn right onto Isleta Boulevard Southwest
Navigation decision point
4
4.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Arenal Road Southwest
Turn right onto Arenal Road Southwest
Navigation decision point
3
5.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Avenida Dolores Huerta Southwest
Turn right onto Avenida Dolores Huerta Southwest
Navigation decision point
4
7.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Central Avenue Northwest
Turn right onto Central Avenue Northwest
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.13 one way
$2.27 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $1.24 | $2.49 |
| premium | $4.56 | $1.35 | $2.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.66 | $3.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.79 | $0.36 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.66 | $0.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3 | 0 | $1.05 | $0.48 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Albuquerque, NM
Afternoon in Albuquerque on Sunday
Local time
2:23 PM
MDT
Current temp
78°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
4 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
21m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features zero highway miles. You will spend your time navigating via Isleta Boulevard Southwest, 4th Street Southwest, and Avenida Dolores Huerta Southwest. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 4.9-mile segment on Isleta Boulevard Southwest. Because you are navigating local roads, stay alert for frequent turns and changing traffic patterns as you transition from the South Valley into the heart of Albuquerque.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.9 mi on Isleta Boulevard Southwest.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 21m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Isleta Boulevard Southwest): Navigation decision point; at 4.4 miles (Arenal Road Southwest): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
4,955 ft
4,924 ft
Total Climb
30 ft
Total Descent
8 ft
Highest Point
4,955 ft
~7.5 mi in
Elevation Range
30 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Albuquerque, NM
Full guide →For the town in Spain, see Alburquerque Albuquerque, also known as ABQ, is a vibrant, sprawling city near the center of New Mexico. Cradled in the Rio Grande Valley beneath the Sandia Mountains, it is by far the largest city in the state, acting as the media, educational, and economic center of New Mexico, as well as the home of the state's only major airport, making it a common entry point into New Mexico. Despite this, Albuquerque is often overshadowed as a tourist destination by Santa Fe, 60 miles (97 km) to the north. But any visit to New Mexico would be incomplete without taking in what Albuquerque has to offer, as New Mexico's only major city has pleasant scenery, colorful history, and a wealth of great attractions in its own right.
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 21m. Total distance: 7.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.9 miles on Isleta Boulevard Southwest. 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 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Isleta Boulevard Southwest): Navigation decision point; at 4.4 miles (Arenal Road Southwest): Navigation decision point.
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 Albuquerque, 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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