Amarillo to Albuquerque drive: Distance, time & road trip stops
The best road trip stops on the Amarillo to Albuquerque drive are Tucumcari NM, Santa Rosa NM and Tijeras NM. The distance from Amarillo to Albuquerque by car is 288 miles, with a 4h18m driving time.
Planning an Amarillo to Albuquerque road trip itinerary
The Amarillo to Albuquerque drive connects Texas to New Mexico on Route 66.
Amarillo is a classic stop on Route 66. Highlights include Cadillac Ranch, an art installation featuring 10 brightly-painted Cadillacs buried nose-first in the ground. You’ll also find the Texas Air and Space Museum here, and the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. For the great outdoors, Palo Duro Canyon State Park is just to the south-east of the city.
Interesting Amarillo activities include Route 66 walking tours and scavenger hunts.
For high quality Amarillo accommodation, try the historic Barfield or the spacious Embassy Suites Amarillo Downtown.
Fabulous Albuquerque experiences include a sunrise hot air balloon flight, old town ghost walks, nature tours by bike and guided hops between craft breweries . You can also pay a visit to the castle-like Turquoise Museum and old town food tours focusing on New Mexican flavours.
Great Albuquerque accommodation choices include the historic, adobe-style Casas de Suenos and the old town’s art-filled Hotel Chaco.
Amarillo to Albuquerque distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Amarillo to Albuquerque is 288 miles. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 18 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-40.
The best stops to add to an Amarillo to Albuquerque road trip itinerary are Tucumcari NM, Santa Rosa NM and Tijeras NM.
For more suggestions, read the guides to the Amarillo to Santa Rosa drive and Santa Rosa to Albuquerque drive.
Best stops between Amarillo and Albuquerque: Tucumcari NM
Tucumcari NM makes a big play of its location on Route 66, and the Route 66 Monument here makes for a classic photo.
For more information and stories about the Mother Road, you can visit the New Mexico Route 66 Museum. The other Tucumcari attraction worth considering is the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum, which showcases the wealth of dino fossils discovered nearby.
Tucumcari accommodation is mainly motel-style, with the Roadrunner Lodge Motel generally getting the best reviews.
Amarillo to Albuquerque road trip attractions: Santa Rosa NM
Santa Rosa NM bills itself as the Scuba diving capital of the Southwest, largely thanks to the Blue Hole. This 81ft deep pool, fed by an artesian spring, is naturally heated to 62 degrees year-round. Divers need a permit, swimmers don’t.
Another alternative for swimming is Park Lake, which is patrolled by lifeguards in summer and has an inflatable obstacle course that’s very popular with children.
Car-lovers, meanwhile, can enjoy the Route 66 Auto Museum.
Amarillo to Albuquerque drive: Tijeras NM
Tijeras NM is sandwiched between the Sandia Mountains and Manzano Mountains. There are several hiking trailheads around the village. For a relatively easy leg-stretch, the one mile return walk to Travertine Falls is best tackled in spring when the water is flowing. The trail to Carlito Springs is another option that won’t eat much of the day.
For cultural attractions, take a walk through the ruins of the Tijeras Pueblo Architectural Site or the Museum of the American Military Family.
More Amarillo road trips
Abilene to Amarillo | Amarillo to Austin | Amarillo to Colorado Springs | Dallas to Amarillo | Amarillo to Denver | Amarillo to El Paso | Amarillo to Flagstaff | Fort Worth to Amarillo | Houston to Amarillo | Lubbock to Amarillo | Amarillo to Oklahoma City | Amarillo to San Antonio | Amarillo to Santa Fe | Santa Rosa NM to Amarillo | Tucumcari to Amarillo | Tulsa to Amarillo.
More Albuquerque road trips
Austin to Albuquerque | Colorado Springs to Albuquerque | Clovis NM to Albuquerque | Dallas to Albuquerque | Denver to Albuquerque | El Paso to Albuquerque | Albuquerque to Flagstaff | Fort Worth to Albuquerque | Gallup to Albuquerque | Albuquerque to Grand Canyon (South Rim) | Holbrook AZ to Albuquerque | Houston to Albuquerque | Albuquerque to Kingman AZ | Las Cruces to Albuquerque | Lubbock to Albuquerque | Mesa AZ to Albuquerque | Albuquerque to Phoenix | Albuquerque to San Antonio | Albuquerque to Santa Fe | Santa Rosa NM to Albuquerque | Albuquerque to Scottsdale | Albuquerque to Sedona | Albuquerque to Taos | Tucumcari to Albuquerque | Albuquerque to Tucson | Tulsa to Albuquerque | Winslow to Albuquerque.