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Albuquerque

NM · 35.0844, -106.6511

El Camino Real, Historic Route 66 and Corrales Road are 3 of 6 signed byways within 30 miles of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Albuquerque was founded in 1706 as a small Spanish settlement on the banks of the Rio Grande and was named for the Duke of Alburquerque (hence Albuquerque's nickname, "The Duke City"). In the 1880s the railroad came to town, and almost overnight a new city grew up around the train tracks a couple of miles away from the original settlement. This "New Town" became the hub of commerce for the state, and the city grew exponentially (eventually the "New Town", which today is Downtown, and the original "Old Town" settlement were joined to become part of the same city).
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6 scenic drives near Albuquerque

Ordered by federal designation, then by how close each one runs to Albuquerque. All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways are named by the Federal Highway Administration, not by us.

  1. 01

    El Camino Real

    National Scenic Byway · starts in town

    Runs through Cibola National Forest and Santa Fe National Forest.

  2. 02

    Historic Route 66

    All-American Road · starts in town

    Runs through Santa Fe National Forest.

  3. 03

    Turquoise Trail

    National Scenic Byway · 14 mi out

    Runs through Cibola National Forest.

  4. 04

    Corrales Road

    State scenic byway · 8 mi out

  5. 05

    Salt Missions Trail

    State scenic byway · 15 mi out

    Runs through Cibola National Forest.

  6. 06

    Sandia Crest Byway

    State scenic byway · 15 mi out

    Runs through Cibola National Forest.

Day-trip loops

Ready-made loops for Albuquerque are growing. What is within reach is measured today; plan a live day trip and the engine routes it now.

Within reach

Measured from Byway's own registries, 30 miles around town.

Scenic byways

Public land

Campgrounds

Lookouts

Named places

A day out of Albuquerque, planned on real roads

The engine starts from town, weaves the byways and verified stops around it, and hands back an honest schedule — zero hallucinations.

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Take the scenic way to Albuquerque.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

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