Day Trippin' › New Mexico › From Albuquerque › Best small towns
Our picks for the best small towns within 3 hours of Albuquerque: 17 places, 3 under an hour away, 4 between 1 and 2 hours and 10 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 87102.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Madrid, 53 min northeast of Albuquerque.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, CC BY 2.0
#1 · Town · 57 min northeast
The state capital, with adobe streets around the historic Plaza, galleries, museums and Northern New Mexico food.
Heads-up: High elevation, so drink water and pace yourself. Parking downtown fills on weekends.
Photo: Scott Catron, CC BY-SA 2.0
#2 · Pueblo · 1 hr 6 min west
A centuries-old pueblo village built on top of a sheer mesa, visited on guided tours from the Sky City Cultural Center and Haak'u Museum.
Heads-up: Tours at 10:30, 12:30 and 2:30. Groups of 10 or more need reservations. No cameras on feast days or Christmas events. Closed some days for cultural events; call ahead.
Photo: John Mackenzie Burke, CC BY-SA 4.0
#3 · Pueblo · 2 hr 24 min northeast
A living Pueblo village of multi-story adobe homes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site lived in for centuries.
Heads-up: Open about 9 am to 4 pm. Photos for personal use only; no photos inside San Geronimo Chapel; ask before photographing people. Obey Restricted Area signs and stay out of the cemetery, homes and the…
Photo: ObscuraNomad, CC BY 4.0
#4 · Family fun · 55 min northeast
A walk-through, hands-on art installation where a Victorian house opens into strange glowing worlds, near the Santa Fe Railyard.
Heads-up: Buy timed or anytime tickets online. Strollers, large backpacks and bags over 8 x 8 inches are not allowed. Crawl and climb spaces are optional. Some evenings are adults only.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
#5 · Town · 1 hr 44 min northeast
A railroad and Santa Fe Trail town with more than 900 historic buildings around its Old Town Plaza.
Heads-up: Walkable downtown and one of the last drive-in theaters. Fort Union is a short drive north.
Photo: afiler from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis), CC BY-SA 2.0
#6 · Town · 1 hr 57 min west
A Route 66 town in red-rock country known for Native American trading posts, art and summer Indigenous dances.
Heads-up: See Native arts at the multicultural center in the old Santa Fe depot. Red Rock Balloon Rally the first weekend of December.
Photo: Zeality, CC BY 2.5
#7 · Town · 2 hr 18 min northeast
A historic art colony with a plaza, galleries and museums, and the famous adobe San Francisco de Asis church in Ranchos de Taos.
Heads-up: Base for the Gorge, the Pueblo and the Enchanted Circle. Elevation is high, so take it easy.
Photo: Wordbuilder, CC BY 3.0
#8 · Town · 2 hr 28 min east
A Route 66 town famous for vintage neon signs, murals and old motels and diners.
Heads-up: Come at dusk for the neon. Museums in town.
Photo: AllenS, Public domain
#9 · Town · 2 hr 32 min south
The self-named Chile Capital of the World, a farm village with roadside chile stands and the smell of roasting chile in harvest season.
Heads-up: Hatch Chile Festival is held over Labor Day weekend at the village airport.
Photo: AllenS, Public domain
#10 · Town · 2 hr 51 min northwest
The shopping and dining hub of the Four Corners, with river parks, museums and easy access to Bisti and the ruins.
Heads-up: Riverglo holiday lights in December. Good base for Aztec, Salmon Ruins and Bisti.
Photo: Unknown, Public domain
#11 · Town · 2 hr 51 min southeast
A mountain resort town ringed by national forest, with a walkable Midtown, nearby lakes and horse racing at Ruidoso Downs.
Heads-up: The All-American Futurity runs Labor Day weekend. Grindstone Lake and Ski Apache are close.
Photo: Cathy from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
#12 · Town · 53 min northeast
A former coal-mining town on the Turquoise Trail reborn as an artists' village of galleries, shops and an old tavern.
Heads-up: Old Coal Mine Museum in town. Pair with Cerrillos just up the road.
Photo: Reettamarjaana, CC BY-SA 4.0
#13 · Family fun · 2 hr 28 min northeast
Self-guided tours of off-grid Earthship homes built from tires, bottles and cans, just past the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.
Heads-up: Open daily 10 to 4. Kids 12 and under free. Do not drive into the private Earthship community.
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Public domain
#14 · Pueblo · 2 hr 35 min west
Home of the A:shiwi (Zuni) people, known for fine jewelry and fetishes, with tours of the old Middle Village and ancestral Hawikku.
Heads-up: Check in at the Zuni Visitors Center first. A permit is required for any photos; no photos of ceremonies in Middle Village. Ceremonies are not announced, so call ahead.
Photo: Carptrash (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
#15 · Pueblo · 1 hr 45 min north
Ancestral cliff and mesa-top homes of Santa Clara Pueblo, seen on tours led from the old Harvey House.
Heads-up: Open 8 am to 4 pm, weather permitting; tours every 30-45 minutes from 8:30. Can close for ceremonies; follow the site etiquette rules and ask before photographing.
Taos Ski Valley summer (2 hr 52 min), Lake Valley Historic Townsite (2 hr 58 min)
Our top picks are Santa Fe (57 min), Acoma Sky City (1 hr 6 min), Taos Pueblo (2 hr 24 min), Meow Wolf House of Eternal Return (55 min) and Las Vegas (1 hr 44 min). The page lists 17 places in all.
17: 3 under an hour away, 4 between 1 and 2 hours and 10 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 87102.
Madrid, about 53 min northeast of Albuquerque.
10 need no pass or fee, including Las Vegas, Tucumcari and Farmington. Fees change, so check each place.
16 of the 17 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.