Austin to Santa Fe road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The best road trip stops on the Austin to Santa Fe drive are Brownwood TX, Lubbock TX and Santa Rosa NM. The distance from Austin to Santa Fe by car is 688 miles, with an 11h5m driving time.
Planning an Austin to Santa Fe road trip itinerary
The Austin to Santa Fe drive connects the capital cities of Texas and New Mexico.
Austin is renowned for its live music scene, although it has plenty of more conventional attractions too. These include Austin Zoo, the Museum of Ice Cream and the Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Top Austin experiences include ebike tours taking in the city highlights, haunted pub crawl walks and segway tours.
You can also try highly-rated downtown food tours, half day wine shuttles in the Hill Country, brewery-hopping beer tours and sightseeing on a boat cruise.
For Austin hotel recommendations, try band crashpad chic meets rainbow bathrobes at the Hotel San Jose and the unashamed rock star swagger of the W.
Santa Fe is one of the oldest cities in the US, and has a huge arts scene. The glut of adobe architecture makes the New Mexico capital highly photogenic. These buildings are best seen on an architecture walking tour.
Fab Santa Fe experiences include history walks covering the city’s past, on-the-move photography classes and New Mexican food tours through the evocative Santa Fe Plaza.
For other options, try small group e-bike tours through lesser-known areas of the city and ghost story tours.
If you want memorable Santa Fe accommodation, try the Hacienda in the Railyard Arts District or the adobe-style La Fonda on the Plaza.
Top tip for Santa Fe
The Canyon Road Arts District plays a huge part in Santa Fe’s distinctive character. But with 80-plus galleries, it’s difficult to know where to start looking. Taking a Canyon Road Arts District tour with an art historian guide helps you zero in on the most interesting works. You’ll also get to chat to the artists and gallery curators. Find out more here.
David Whitley, editor of Best3Stops.
Austin to Santa Fe distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Austin to Santa Fe is 688 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 11 hours and five minutes. The quickest route goes along the TX-183, US-84, I-40 and US-285.
The best stops to add to an Austin to Santa Fe road trip itinerary are Brownwood TX, Lubbock TX and Santa Rosa NM.
Best stops between Austin and Santa Fe: Brownwood TX
Brownwood TX is primarily known as the home of Howard Payne University, although the Brown County Museum will tell you more about the city’s frontier past.
Lake Brownwood State Park to the north-west is a good spot for fishing, boating and swimming. Kids, meanwhile, tend to enjoy the water slides of the Camp Bowie Aquatic Center.
Austin to Santa Fe road trip attractions: Lubbock TX
Lubbock is home to the Texas Tech University, which plays host to the National Ranching Heritage Center. This explains the history and culture of ranching across Texas and further afield.
There’s also the Museum of Texas Tech University, which has dinosaurs and a planetarium. Perhaps the most interesting attraction, though, is the Buddy Holly Center, which celebrates the local boy music star who died tragically early.
For something a little cuter, you can visit the prairie dogs at Prairie Dog Town Park.
Good Lubbock accommodation options include the good value La Quinta and the personality-packed Cotton Court Hotel.
For more suggestions, read the guide to the Austin to Lubbock drive.
Austin to Santa Fe drive: 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.
If stopping for the night, accommodation in Santa Rosa is all motel chains.
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