You can make Phoenix to Albuquerque in about 6.5 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 420 miles on I-17 and I-40, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Phoenix
Aim to clear Phoenix before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 126 miles to Flagstaff.
The headline stop on this route is Standin' on the Corner in Winslow. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff sits about 126 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Petrified Forest National Park is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Gallup, the last stretch
Gallup sits about 295 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Albuquerque
The final 125 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Route 66 trading posts in Gallup; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Standin' on the Corner in Winslow, Petrified Forest National Park and Route 66 trading posts in Gallup, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Flagstaff, AZ or Gallup, NM is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along I-17 and I-40 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
