The best road trip stops on the Dallas to Santa Fe drive are Wichita Falls TX, Amarillo TX and Santa Rosa NM. The distance from Dallas to Santa Fe by car is 640 miles, with a 9h32m driving time.
Planning a Dallas to Santa Fe road trip itinerary
The Dallas to Santa Fe drive takes you across north Texas to the New Mexico capital.
5 great Dallas experiences worth booking
- 🤠 Combine the JFK sites and Southfork Ranch on a half day tour.
- 🏛️ Take comprehensive JFK assassination tour – including the Sixth Floor Museum and Lee Harvey Oswald Rooming House.
- 🚴 Cover Downtown Dallas’ attractions and history on an e-bike tour.
- 🌆 See Dallas from above at the Reunion Tower GeO Deck.
- 🌮 Take a food tour with five tastings in the Deep Ellum area.
Dallas has plenty of high quality cultural attractions. These include the Nasher Scupture Center, George W Bush Presidential Museum and Perot Museum of Science and Nature.
But for many visitors, the main reason to visit Dallas is the JFK assassination. Yes, you can go up to the Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald supposedly took his shot from. It’s now the Sixth Floor Museum.
Top Dallas experiences include a JFK Assassination and Museum tour, the GeO-Deck at Reunion Tower and a self-guided scavenger hunt.
Santa Fe is one of the oldest cities in the US, with the Palace of the Governors dating back to 1610, and has a huge arts scene. The glut of adobe architecture also makes the New Mexico capital highly photogenic. These buildings are best seen on an architecture walking tour.
Fab Santa Fe experiences include history walks covering the city’s past, on-the-move photography classes and New Mexican food tours through the evocative Santa Fe Plaza. You’ll find the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Loretto Chapel and New Mexico Museum of Art around here. Other key attractions, such as the Museum of International Folk Art, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and the Santa Fe Botanical Garden are a couple of miles away on Museum Hill
If you want memorable Santa Fe accommodation, try the Hacienda in the Railyard Arts District or the adobe-style La Fonda on the Plaza.
5 great experiences in Santa Fe to book today
- 🏛️ Santa Fe architecture walking tour – Discover Santa Fe’s distinctive architectural styles on an architecture-focused walking tour.
- 🎨 Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return – At Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return, experience a groundbreaking, huge scale, immersive art installation.
- 🚂 New Mexico scenic train ride – See New Mexico’s extraordinary landscapes on a scenic train ride.
- 🚴 Santa Fe e-bike tour – On a guided e-bike tour, see Santa Fe’s hidden highlights.
- 🎈 Hot air balloon flight – Float above the mesas, buttes and canyons in a hot air balloon.
Dallas to Santa Fe distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Dallas to Santa Fe is 640 miles. That makes for a driving time of around nine hours and 32 minutes. The quickest route is along the US-287, I-40 and US-285.
The best stops to add to a Dallas to Santa Fe road trip itinerary are Wichita Falls TX, Amarillo TX and Santa Rosa NM.
Dallas to Santa Fe drive: Wichita Falls TX
The ‘falls’ in Wichita Falls is a man-made waterfall in Lucy Park. Artificial or not, it still looks pretty cool. But there’s more to see in this North Texas city.
If you want serious, there’s the Museum of North Texas History. If you want fun, there’s the Castaway Cove Water Park. And, for a touch of nature, plump for the River Bend Nature Center.
Best stops between Dallas and Santa Fe: Amarillo TX
Amarillo is a classic stop on Route 66. Highlights include Cadillac Ranch, an art installation featuring 10 brightly-painted Cadillacs buried nose-first in the ground. You’ll also find the Texas Air and Space Museum here, and the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. For the great outdoors, Palo Duro Canyon State Park is just to the south-east of the city.
For high quality Amarillo accommodation, try the historic Barfield or the spacious Embassy Suites Amarillo Downtown.
Dallas to Santa Fe road trip attractions: Santa Rosa NM
Santa Rosa NM bills itself as the Scuba diving capital of the Southwest, largely thanks to the Blue Hole. This 81ft deep pool, fed by an artesian spring, is naturally heated to 62 degrees year-round. Divers need a permit, swimmers don’t.
Another alternative for swimming is Park Lake, which is patrolled by lifeguards in summer and has an inflatable obstacle course that’s very popular with children.
Car-lovers, meanwhile, can enjoy the Route 66 Auto Museum.
If stopping for the night, accommodation in Santa Rosa is all motel chains.
More Dallas and Santa Fe road trips
- The best stops on the Dallas to Albuquerque drive and Dallas to Tucson drive.
- Best stops on the Dallas to Amarillo drive.
- Getting to Santa Fe: The best stops on the Albuquerque to Santa Fe drive, Las Cruces to Santa Fe drive, Sedona to Santa Fe, Phoenix to Santa Fe drive and Flagstaff to Santa Fe drive.
- Getting to Santa Fe from Texas: The best stops on the El Paso to Santa Fe drive and Amarillo to Santa Fe drive.
- Road trips from Santa Fe: Where to stop on the Santa Fe to Tucson drive.
