Driving from Albuquerque to Phoenix: Favorite Stops + Best Routes

Route Options Overview:

⚡️ Driving an EV from Albuquerque to Phoenix?

We made this trip in our Tesla, and I mapped out the charging stops along each route.

⚡ The easiest route for charging: I-40 → I-17
⚡ The route requiring more planning: Backcountry route
⚡My favorite charging stop: Payson, AZ

→ Jump to my Tesla Supercharger reviews

Planning a road trip from Albuquerque to Phoenix? We recently made the drive with our baby and discovered that the route is packed with scenic overlooks, Route 66 attractions, national parks, quirky roadside stops, and surprisingly good places to charge an EV.

We ended up taking two different routes, and both were full of scenic stops, historical monuments, and were all in all beautiful drives, some of the best driving I’ve ever done!

We were also traveling with a baby, and learned a thing or two about what to pack for a road trip with an infant. Big learning curve for sure 😅

If you’re planning your upcoming road trip between Albuquerque and Phoenix, make sure you do a little planning ahead so you don’t drive past some of the coolest, most unique stops! The destination is often well worth the drive, but sometimes the journey there can be the most fun 😉

Short on Time? Grab my Free Interactive Google Map Here!

🛣️ #1 Quickest Route (Mountain Shortcut)

This is the route my family did on the way from Phoenix to Albuquerque. After driving through Phoenix, we spent about half of the journey on smaller AZ routes that wound through the Tonto National Forest and mountain towns. After Holbrook, AZ, we were back on I-40 for the remainder of the drive.

Tip: If you are coming from west of Phoenix, I STRONGLY recommend you look at when rush hour traffic is. Plan on driving through before or after for your sanity's sake ;)

📸 Best Stops & Photo Ops

📍Grants, NM

• Route 66 Drive-Thru Neon Sign: A fun stop where you can pose with your car. The neon signs create a pretty illumination during the darker hours!

• El Cafecito - Delicious Mexican breakfast and warm, fresh coffee. Service was 10/10!

• El Malpais National Monument: A slight detour, but this monument features unique landscapes created by ancient volcanic activity.

• El Morro National Monument: This monument would be an additional detour, but with sandstone with over 2,000 signatures carved into sandstone, it's worth the extra time!

📍Bluewater, NM

• Bluewater Motel - An old motel that still has its original sign from decades ago.

📍Gallup, NM

• Historic El Rancho Motel - This restored motel used to host big Hollywood stars back in its heyday.

• Cowboy Muffler Man - A quirky photo opportunity with a large, fiberglass statue of a man with a holster and cowboy hat.

• World Famous Zuni Pueblo Pot - A fun photo op with a large Zuni Pueblo pot.

• Murals Downtown: If you stop and take a stroll downtown, you can walk past and admire over 20 murals!

📍I-40 West

• Petrified Forest National Park: A very easy detour right off I-40 before you start driving south. You can drive through the park and stop at one of the visitor centers to learn how petrified wood is made!

📍Holbrook, AZ

• Wigwam Motel: A unique motel where you stay in a wigwam, this makes for a fun stop for the night or a quick photo op!

📍Payson, AZ

• Paleo Site Monument: This site has sedimentary stone that contains many fossils. It's easy to access and a fun stop for adults and kids.

• Mogollon Rim Overlook: Amazing views and a great photo opportunity. Look out and see the pine forest sharply drop off into the valley below.

• Tonto Natural Bridge State Park: This slight detour offers a chance to see a magestic natural bridge and it offers a few trails to stretch your legs.

📍Optional Path from Payson, AZ to Phoenix, AZ

• Canyon Lake: If you take I-188 south from Payson instead of I-87 all the way to Phoenix, this lake is worth the stop. Many say that this is the "hidden gem" in the desrt. There's a marina restaurant where you can sit outside on the patio and overlook the water.

⚡ EV Chargers

• Holbrook, AZ: Chargers are at a Burger King.

• Payson, AZ: Chargers are at a shopping strip mall with restaurants and a grocery store nearby.

🛣️ #2 The All-Interstate Route (Easiest Drive)

I-40 follows Route 66 closely, so there's lots of fun, historic, and quirky stops you can visit at the towns along the way. You also get to stop at Flagstaff, a great town to grab coffee and explore, with the added option of stopping in Sedona, AZ.

📸 Best Stops & Photo Ops

📍Grants, NM

• Route 66 Drive-Thru Neon Sign: A fun stop where you can pose with your car. The neon signs create a pretty illumination during the darker hours!

• El Cafecito - Delicious Mexican breakfast and warm, fresh coffee. Service was 10/10!

• El Malpais National Monument: A slight detour, but this monument features unique landscapes created by ancient volcanic activity.

• El Morro National Monument: This monument would be an additional detour, but with sandstone with over 2,000 signatures carved into sandstone, it's worth the extra time!

📍Bluewater, NM

• Bluewater Motel - An old motel that still has its original sign from decades ago.

📍Gallup, NM

• Historic El Rancho Motel - This restored motel used to host big Hollywood stars back in its heyday.

• Cowboy Muffler Man: A quirky photo opportunity with a large, fiberglass statue of a man with a holster and cowboy hat.

• World Famous Zuni Pueblo Pot: A fun photo op with a large Zuni Pueblo pot.

• Murals Downtown: If you stop and take a stroll downtown, you can walk past and admire over 20 murals!

📍I-40 West

• Petrified Forest National Park: A very easy detour right off I-40 before you start driving south. You can drive through the park and stop at one of the visitor centers.

• Meteor Crater: This crater is MASSIVE and is right off the highway, making it a fun, quick stop.

• Dino Drive-Thru at Meteor City: Drive-thru and see multiple dinosaur statues and have the opportunity to try some interactive activities like panning for gems. This was an old Route 66 attraction brought back to life!

• Walnut Canyon National Monument: This monument offers STUNNING views of ancient cliff dwellings. The trails are also paved and well maintained.

📍Flagstaff, AZ

• Steep Leaf Lounge:

• Macy's European Coffeehouse & Bakery:

• Flagstaff Community Farmers Market: If you're stopping here on Saturday, this is a must-do! With various food trucks, coffee trucks, and cute stalls, you can walk around, pick up a fun souvenir, and grab some yummy food before you hit the road again.

📍Sedona, AZ (optional)

• Sedona Detour (AZ-179): This adds about 45 minutes to the drive, but seeing the iconic red rocks and stopping in Sedona for a quick bite to eat is 100% worth it!

📍I-17

• Scenic Lookout: A pullout that offers a beautiful view of the Coconino National Forest. Great for an impromptu family photo!

• Montezuma Castle National Monument: This monument offers a glimpse into the cliff dwellings of the Sinagua people dating back to the 12th century. The paths are paved and shaded, making it easy to access.

• Cactus Viewpoint: A scenic photo op with saguaro cacti right next to Tesla superchargers and a gas station.
  

⚡ EV Chargers & Fuel

• Gallup, NM: Charger is in the Burger King parking lot.

• Flagstaff, AZ: Bigger charging area with lots of chargers and a nice gas station right next door.

• New River, AZ: Top off here before you enter/leave Phoenix.

🛣️ #3 The Scenic Backcountry (Best Sightseeing + Best Route in the Winter)

This is the drive for those who want a beautiful drive and/or are making the journey in the winter! Since most of the drive isn't on an interstate, the drive has fewer big fast food chains and amenities, but that's part of the appeal right?

📸 Best Stops & Photo Ops

• Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge: A unique refuge that has four different kinds of biomes intersecting on the refuge: the Colorado Plateau Shrub Steppe, Great Plains Short Grass Prairie, the Chihuahuan Desert, and the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland. Offers trails and a chance to spot a lot of wildlife.

• The Very Large Array (VLA): This iconic radio telescope is just as the name implies, VERY LARGE, and it sits in the middle of a flat desert basin.

• Pie Town, NM: It's illegal to stop here without having a slice of homemade pie!

• Salt River Canyon: Also known as Arizona's "Mini Grand Canyon", this canyon boasts incredible views and walking trails with the chance to see wild mustangs!

⚡ EV Chargers & Fuel

• Socorro, NM

• Pinetop, AZ

• Show Low, AZ

Warning: Chargers are more limited on this route than the others. Make sure you charge up in Socorro, NM and Pinetop, AZ (or an APS charging station in Show Low, AZ).

Tesla Supercharger Stop Reviews

⚡ Gallup Tesla Supercharger

Supercharger Location: Best Western Hotel

Within Walking Distance: Gas stations

Amount of Chargers: 8

What to Know: Not much to do. You would have to walk along the road or across the street to get snacks and food at a gas station. The Best Western does offer some snacks if you don't mind a limited selection or if you don't want to walk too far.

⚡ Holbrook, AZ Tesla Supercharger

Supercharger Location: Burger King Parking Lot

Within Walking Distance: Gas Station, a sidewalk trail that runs along the road.

Amount of Chargers: 12

What to Know: Burger King no longer lets you use the bathroom unless you are a paying customer.

⚡ Flagstaff, AZ Tesla Supercharger

Supercharger Location: Large charging area next to a large gas station.

Within Walking Distance: A big gas station with clean bathrooms

Amount of Chargers: 12

What to Know: The bathrooms at the gas station next door are clean.

⚡ Payson, AZ Tesla Supercharger

Supercharger Location: In the parking lot of a strip mall

Within Walking Distance: Grocery store, Thai restaurant, Subway, Starbucks, Arby's and a Mexican restaurant.

Amount of Chargers: 12 + (7 Electrify America chargers)

What to Know: The Starbucks nearby opens at 4:30 am and closes at 9 pm, perfect for grabbing some coffee at all hours.

⚡ New River, AZ Tesla Supercharger

Supercharger Location: Next to a gas station.

Within Walking Distance: Subway

Amount of Chargers: 10

What to Know: Clean bathrooms and a good place to take a family photo with all the Saguaro cacti.

⚡ Socorro, NM Tesla Supercharger

Supercharger Location: Best Western Hotel.

Within Walking Distance: McDonald's and Burger King

Amount of Chargers: 8

What to Know: Sofia's Kitchen & Burrito Tyme is a little way down the street, and that's my husband's favorite breakfast burrito place in all of NM!

⚡ Pinetop, AZ Tesla Destination

Supercharger Location: Quality Inn

Within Walking Distance: Aunt Nancy's Family Restaurant

Number of Chargers: 2 Tesla + 1 Generic (8 kW!!!)

What to Know: Owners charge $25 per charge if you aren't staying at the hotel. They also only have 8 kW chargers so the charging rate is low (~30 mi/hr charge). Recommend only using this one if you plan on staying here for the night.

⚡ APS Charging Station in Show Low, AZ

Supercharger Location: right next to a Best Western Hotel.

Within Walking Distance: Picnic tables + Aunt Nancy's Family Restaurant

Amount of Chargers: 8

What to Know: Need a CCS adapter if you have a Tesla

Grab my Interactive Google Map!

I pinned all the spots mentioned in the blog post so you can easily hit the road and map out exactly where all the spots are.

Happy driving <3