Denver to Albuquerque distance
Denver and Albuquerque are 334 miles (537 km) apart in a straight line and 446 miles (718 km) apart by road: about 7 hr 50 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-25. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing, the approximate flight time and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 446 mi (718 km)
- Driving time
- 7 hr 50 min
- Straight line
- 334 mi (537 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 334 mi (537 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 446 mi (718 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 7 hr 50 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +34% 1.34 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 57 mph (92 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 196° (south) leaving Denver toward Albuquerque |
| Midpoint | 37.4152° N, 105.8437° W near Sanford (Colorado) |
| Halfway by road | Near Maxwell (New Mexico) 223 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Approximate flight | 1 hr 10 min estimate: 30 min + the straight line at 800 km/h |
| Elevation | Denver: 5,276 ft (1,608 m) · Albuquerque: 4,955 ft (1,510 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Denver: 740,613 · Albuquerque: 556,588 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Denver to Albuquerque by road
The fastest driving route is 446 miles (718 km) long and takes about 7 hr 50 min without stops or traffic. Almost all of it is on I-25: 440 mi of 446 mi.
It goes through 2 states: Colorado (210 mi) and New Mexico (237 mi). That’s an average of 57 mph (92 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 3 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 8 hr 50 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Denver and Albuquerque are 334 miles (537 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 34% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 134. That’s a big detour: the fastest route strays quite far from the straight line. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 7th for detour (the average is 16%).
From Denver, Albuquerque lies to the south (bearing 196°), and from Albuquerque, Denver lies to the north.
Halfway between Denver and Albuquerque
Halfway along the straight line, 167 miles (269 km) from each city, is the point 37.4152° N, 105.8437° W. It falls near Sanford (Colorado, pop. 897), 11.3 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 223 miles (359 km) from each city, near Maxwell (New Mexico, pop. 220), 20.1 mi away. The two midpoints are 87.4 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
Denver and Albuquerque share the same time all year: both are on Mountain Time.
A direct flight would take about 1 hr 10 min. That’s an estimate: 30 minutes for takeoff, climb, descent and landing, plus the 537 km straight line at 800 km/h (about 497 mph), a typical airliner cruising speed. Real schedules depend on wind, routing and airports, and not every pair has a direct flight.
The two cities
Denver sits at 5,276 ft (1,608 m) and Albuquerque at 4,955 ft (1,510 m), 321 ft (98 m) lower.
Denver has 740,613 people and Albuquerque 556,588 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Denver to Albuquerque?
334 miles (537 km) in a straight line and 446 miles (718 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-25).
How long is the drive from Denver to Albuquerque?
About 7 hr 50 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 3 stops of 20 minutes, about 8 hr 50 min.
Where is the halfway point between Denver and Albuquerque?
In a straight line, near Sanford (Colorado). By road, 223 mi from each city, near Maxwell (New Mexico).
How long is the flight from Denver to Albuquerque?
About 1 hr 10 min, estimated from the straight-line distance (537 km): 30 minutes for takeoff and landing plus the trip at 800 km/h. Real flight times vary with wind and routing.
Are Denver and Albuquerque in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Mountain Time all year.
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
More distances from Denver
All distances- Chicago to Denver 919 mi straight line · 1,005 mi by road · 17 hr 50 min
- Denver to Salt Lake City 372 mi straight line · 520 mi by road · 9 hr
- Los Angeles to Denver 831 mi straight line · 1,017 mi by road · 17 hr 50 min
- Denver to Colorado Springs 63.1 mi straight line · 68.7 mi by road · 1 hr 20 min
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology