Las Cruces to Phoenix road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

The best road trip stops on the Las Cruces to Phoenix drive are Tombstone, Tucson and Picacho Peak State Park. The distance from Las Cruces to Phoenix by car is 388 miles, with a 5h40m driving time.

Planning a Las Cruces to Phoenix road trip itinerary

The Las Cruces to Phoenix drive takes you from southern New Mexico to the capital of Arizona.

Las Cruces lies on the Rio Grande and the cusp of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Organ Mountains provide a spectacular backdrop, and the most wholesome thing you can do here is go hiking in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.

However, there’s also a lively bar and restaurant scene, thanks in part to the New Mexico State University. Attractions-wise, the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum has art to go with the agricultural history.

Well-reviewed Las Cruces accommodation includes the charismatic Hotel Encanto and the solidly affordable Best Western Mission Inn.

A stay in Phoenix is at its best when you explore the surrounding Sonoran Desert. That might be in a hot air balloon flight, on an ATV tour or on a guided sunset hiking adventure. You can also do day tours along the Apache Trail.

For other Phoenix experiences, try a downtown food tour, a street art tour or a spooky nighttime ghost walk.

Attractions that you might wish to buy advance include cell phone-friendly tickets for include Phoenix Zoo, the Sea Life aquarium or a drunk Shakespeare performance.

For Phoenix accommodation options with a bit of character, try the art-splashed Foundre or the resort-like Raintree at Phoenix South Mountain Preserve.

Las Cruces to Phoenix distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Las Cruces to Phoenix is 388 miles. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 40 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-10.

The best stops to add to a Las Cruces to Phoenix road trip itinerary are Tombstone, Tucson and Picacho Peak State Park.

For more suggestions, read the guides to the Las Cruces to Tucson drive and Tucson to Phoenix drive.

Las Cruces to Phoenix drive: Tombstone, Arizona

Tombstone, Arizona, is a fabulously silly place that buys whole-heartedly into Wild West mythology. The Boot Hill graveyard has comic epitaphs, and the streets look as they would back in the days of the Earp Brothers. Costumed actors stage a gunfight at the OK Corral, blacksmiths work the forge and there’s a bizarre collection of mini-museums and attractions

It’s also possible to do a series of themed walking tours that bring Tombstone even further to life. Choose from ghosts and gunslingers or bullets and bordellos.

Las Cruces to Phoenix road trip attractions: Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is often used as a base for exploring the Sonoran Desert. But it’s a proper city with an arty streak, a Spanish-tinged history and excellent Mexican food.

Top Tucson experiences include exploring the city’s many murals, taking a self-guided audio tour through Saguaro National Park and canyoneering at Mt Lemmon.

There are also several good bike tours you can do in and around Tucson. Choose from a history-focused ride through the city, e-biking in Saguaro National Park and taco-tasting on two wheels.

For resort-style accommodation in Tucson, take a look at the impressive Casino Del Sol Resort. To stay downtown, within walking distance of several restaurants, try the Leo Kent Hotel.

Best stops between Las Cruces and Phoenix: Picacho Peak State Park

Picacho Peak is a part of a volcanic flow that has been eroded away over the centuries. Jutting 1,500ft out from the Sonoran Desert, Picacho Peak has long been an iconic landmark.

There are a series of short, easy walking trails with interpretive signs in Picacho Peak State Park. The difficult and very steep two mile Hunter Trail will take you to the top, though. Come after winter rains, and you’re likely to see an explosion of wildflowers.