Driving I-40: Albuquerque to Kingman, AZ

Distance: 272 miles (438 km).
Time: ~4 hr 15 min (no stops).
Realistic: 4 hr 30–45 min.

Route

I-40 W entire way. Major waypoints:

• Grants, NM (78 mi) — uranium mining history, El Malpais NM nearby
• Gallup, NM (138 mi) — Navajo trading posts, Route 66
• AZ state line (160 mi) — Continental Divide (7,275 ft)
• Petrified Forest NP / Holbrook, AZ (185 mi)
• Winslow, AZ (215 mi) — "Standin' on a Corner" park, Meteor Crater turnoff
• Flagstaff, AZ (258 mi) — I-17 S junction, elev. 6,900 ft
• Kingman, AZ (272 mi) — Route 66 heart, Hoover Dam access (US-93 N)

Conditions

• Two lanes each way most of route; climbing lanes on grades.
• Winter: snow/ice possible at Continental Divide & Flagstaff (carry chains).
• Wind: spring gusts 40+ mph across plains.
• Fuel: fill in Albuquerque or Gallup; prices better than AZ exits.