Interstate 25 in New Mexico

This article is about the section of Interstate 25 in New Mexico. For the entire route, see Interstate 25.

Interstate 25 marker

Interstate 25
Route information
Maintained by NMDOT
Length: 462.12 mi[1] (743.72 km)
Existed: 1957[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: I-10 / US 85 / US 180 in Las Cruces
  US 70 in Las Cruces
US 380 near San Antonio
US 60 in Socorro
US 60 near Bernardo
I-40 in Albuquerque
US 550 in Bernalillo
US 84 / US 285 in Santa Fe
US 84 in Las Vegas
US 64 / US 87 in Raton
North end: I‑25 / US 85 / US 87 near Raton
Location
Counties: Doña Ana, Sierra, Socorro, Valencia, Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, San Miguel, Mora, Colfax
Highway system
← NM 24NM 26 →
← NM 83US 85NM 88 →

In the U.S. state of New Mexico, Interstate 25 (I-25) follows the north–south corridor through Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It replaced U.S. Route 85, which is no longer signed, but still exists in route logs sharing the I-25 alignment. I-25 starts in New Mexico at an interchange with I-10 in Las Cruces and extends roughly 460 miles before reaching Colorado. I-25 passes through principally rural land through central New Mexico and passes through or near the cities of Las Cruces, Truth or Consequences, Socorro, Belen, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Raton.

Route description

Interstate 25 begins at Interstate 10's exit 144 in Las Cruces (elevation 4,000 feet (1,200 m)),[3] just south of the New Mexico State University campus. I-25 is concurrent with U.S. Route 85 at this point, and carries the US 85 concurrency for the remainder of its run in New Mexico. Immediately, the Interstate passes east of the New Mexico State campus, and the next three exits provide access to the city. The first exit is University Avenue, which provides access to NMSU. The final exit in Las Cruces is U.S. Route 70.[4] Upon exiting the city the speed limit increases by ten miles per hour to 75 mph. Before I-25 reaches Truth or Consequences and just south of Elephant Butte Reservoir State Park it crosses over to the west side of the Rio Grande.[5] From Las Cruces to Santa Fe I-25 follows the route of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.[6]

At the Big I in Albuquerque, New Mexico

South of Albuquerque near Socorro it passes through the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.[7] As I-25 nears Albuquerque, it has interchanges with roads such as U.S. Route 380 and a concurrency with U.S. Route 60.[8] State Road 6, the original U.S. Route 66, meets up with I-25 in Los Lunas.[9] Just to the south of Albuquerque I-25 enters Isleta Pueblo where it crosses back to the east side of the Rio Grande.[10]

The speed limit on I-25 in Albuquerque is 65 mph (105 km/h), except for one 1.5 mile 55 mph (89 km/h) section between Gibson Boulevard and Central Avenue. Through Albuquerque I-25 is named the Pan American Freeway and there are frequent exits to city streets.[11][12]:248 A major interchange with Interstate 40 (which is styled as the Coronado Freeway in the city) is named the Big I.[12]:248[13] It was given an honorable mention by the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration for excellence in urban highway design in 2002.[14]

Approaching Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are in the background.

Leaving Albuquerque, the 75 mph (121 km/h) speed limit resumes as the freeway passes through Sandia Pueblo. After Bernalillo, I-25 passes through four more Indian Reservations (from south to north the Pueblos of Santa Ana, San Felipe, Kewa and Cochiti. I-25 turns to the northeast and away from the Rio Grande, alongside which it has run from its southern terminus, as it heads toward Santa Fe.[15] 11 mi (18 km) southwest of Santa Fe it climbs out of the Rio Grande Valley at a steep hill called La Bajada.[16]

Continuing 'northbound' at Santa Fe, I-25 heads southeast for approximately 45 miles (72 km) traveling through the Santa Fe National Forest and crossing Glorieta Pass (7,452 feet (2,271 m)).[17] It turns north again at Blanchard toward Las Vegas.[18] The highway maintains a north and northeast orientation as it leaves New Mexico traversing Raton Pass (7,798 feet (2,377 m)[19]) and enters Colorado. The speed limit through Raton Pass is 65 mph (105 km/h). From Santa Fe to Raton Pass I-25 approximates part of the route of the Santa Fe Trail.[20] I-25 is 462.124 miles long in New Mexico.[1]

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Doña AnaLas Cruces0 I-10 (US 85 south) / US 85 / US 180 – El Paso, Deming, Tucson, Las Cruces, AlbuquerqueBegin Interstate 25, Southern end of US 85 concurrency; southern terminus; I-10 exit 144
1University AvenueAccess to New Mexico State University
3Lohman Avenue
6 US 70 / Del Rey Boulevard – Las Cruces, Alamogordo, White Sands National Monument, White Sands Missile Range
9 NM 320 – Doña Ana
 19 NM 157 – Radium Springs
 32Upham
 35 NM 140 west – Rincon
 41 NM 26 west – Hatch, Deming, Lordsburg
Sierra 51 NM 546 – Garfield, Salem
 59 NM 187 – Caballo, Percha State Parks
 63 NM 152 – Hillsboro, Silver City
 71Las Palomas
Williamsburg75 I-25 Bus. north – Truth or Consequences, Williamsburg
Truth or Consequences79 I-25 Bus. south – Truth or Consequences
83 NM 195 (NM 181) – City of Elephant Butte, Elephant Butte Lake State Park
 89 NM 181 to NM 52 – Cuchillo, Monticello
 92 NM 1 – Mitchell Point
 100Red Rock
Socorro 115 NM 107 – Magdalena, Camino Real International Heritage Center
 124San Marcial, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
 139 US 380 east – San Antonio, Carrizozo, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Socorro147 I-25 Bus. north to US 60 west – Socorro, Magdalena
150 I-25 Bus. south / US 60 west – Socorro, MagdalenaSouth end of US 60 overlap
 152Escondida
 156 NM 408 – Lemitar
 163San Acacia
 169Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
 175 US 60 east (NM 116) – Bernardo, MountainairNorth end of US 60 overlap
ValenciaBelen190 I-25 Bus. north – Belen, South Belen
191Camino del Llano
 195 I-25 Bus. south – Belen
Los Lunas203 NM 6 – Los Lunas
Bernalillo 209 To NM 45 (NM 317) – Isleta Pueblo
 213 NM 314 (Isleta Boulevard)
Albuquerque215 NM 47 (Broadway) – Bosque Farms, Peralta
220 NM 500 (Rio Bravo Boulevard)
221Sunport Boulevard – Albuquerque International Sunport
222Gibson Boulevard – Albuquerque International Sunport, Kirtland AFBSigned as exits 222A (east) and 222B (west) southbound
223Avenida Cesar Chavez
224ACentral Avenue, Lead Avenue, Coal AvenueNorthbound access via Oak Street, southbound via Locust Street
224BCentral Avenue, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue (MLK Avenue)Northbound access via Oak Street, southbound via Locust Street
225Candelaria Road, Lomas Boulevard, Menaul Boulevard
226 I-40 (Coronado Freeway) – Santa Rosa, GallupSigned as exits 226A (east, Santa Rosa) and 226B (west, Gallup); I-40 exit 159B-C
227Comanche Road, Griegos Road, Candelaria Road, Menaul Boulevard
228Montgomery Boulevard, Montaño RoadMontaño Road is west of I-25, Montgomery Blvd. is east of I-25.
229Jefferson Street
230San Mateo Boulevard, Osuna Road
231San Antonio Avenue, Ellison Road, Osuna Road
232 NM 423 (Paseo del Norte)
233 NM 528 (Alameda Boulevard)
 234 NM 556 (Roy Avenue, Tramway Road)
SandovalBernalillo240 NM 473 – Bernalillo
242 US 550 west / NM 165 east – Bernalillo, Rio Rancho, Placitas, Farmington
 248 NM 315 – Algodones
 252San Felipe Pueblo
 257Budaghers
 259 NM 22 – Santo Domingo Pueblo
Santa Fe 264 NM 16 – Cochiti Pueblo
 267Waldo Canyon Road
 271CR 50 F – La Cienega
 276 NM 14 south / NM 599 north (Santa Fe Relief Route) – Madrid
Santa Fe278 NM 14 (Cerrillos Road)Signed as exits 278A (south) and 278B (north) southbound
282 US 84 north / US 285 north (St. Francis Drive) / Frontage Road – Santa Fe Plaza, Española, Los Alamos, TaosSouth end of US 84/US 285 overlap; signed as exits 282A (Frontage Road) and 282B (US 84/US 285) southbound
284 NM 466 (Old Pecos Trail)
 290 US 285 south (NM 300) – Clines CornersNorth end of US 285 overlap
 294Canoncito at Apache Canyon
 297Valencia
 299 NM 50 – Glorieta, Pecos
San Miguel 307 NM 63 – Pecos, Rowe, Pecos National Historic Park
 319San Jose, San Juan
 323 NM 3 south – Villanueva
 330Bernal
 335Tecolote
 339 US 84 south – Romeroville, Santa RosaNorth end of US 84 overlap
Las Vegas343 I-25 Bus. north to NM 283 / NM 329 – Las Vegas
345 NM 104 (University Avenue) to I-25 Bus. / NM 65, Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge
347 To I-25 Bus. south / NM 250 / NM 65 / NM 518 – Taos, Las Vegas
 352Las Vegas Municipal Airport
 356Onava
 361(no name)
Mora 364 NM 161 to NM 97 – Watrous, Valmora
 366 NM 161 to NM 97 – Watrous, Valmora, Fort Union National Monument
 387 NM 120 – Wagon Mound
 393Levy
Colfax 404 NM 569 – Colmor
 412 To US 56 / US 412 / NM 21 / NM 468 (I-25 Bus. north) – Springer, Clayton
 414 To US 56 / US 412 / NM 21 / NM 468 (I-25 Bus. south) – Springer
 419 NM 58 west – Cimarron
 426 To NM 505 (NM 445) – Maxwell, Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge
 435Tinaja
 446 US 64 west – TaosSouth end of US 64 overlap
Raton450 I-25 Bus. north (US 64 east) – RatonNorth end of US 64 overlap
451 US 64 / US 87 east – Raton, Clayton, Capulin Volcano National Monument, AmarilloSouth end of US 87 overlap
452 NM 72 east – Raton
 454 I-25 Bus. south – Raton
 460Truck weigh stationFinal exit in New Mexico
New Mexico – Colorado state line I‑25 / US 85 / US 87 north continues into Colorado
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Interstate Highways" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2011-06-16.
  2. ↑ Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (Map). American Association of State Highway Officials. August 14, 1957. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  3. ↑ Google (2007-07-07). "I-25 at I-10" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  4. ↑ Google (2007-07-07). "I-25 in Las Cruces" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  5. ↑ Google (2007-07-07). "I-25 parallels Elephant Butte Reservoir State Park" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  6. ↑ Wilkerson, Lyn (2003). American Trails Revisited: Following in the Footsteps of the Western Pioneers. Lincoln, NE: ¡Universe, Inc. p. 154. ISBN 0595282628. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  7. ↑ Google (2013-04-13). "I-25 near Socorro" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
  8. ↑ Google (2007-07-07). "I-25 near Albuquerque" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  9. ↑ Google (2007-07-07). "I-25 at SR 6" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  10. ↑ Google (2013-04-13). "I-25 near Isleta" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
  11. ↑ Google (2007-07-07). "I-25 exits in Albuquerque" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Bryan, Howard (1989). Albuquerque Remembered. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0826337821. OCLC 62109913. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  13. ↑ Google (2007-07-07). "I-25 at I-40" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  14. ↑ "I-25/I-40 System-to-System Interchange". Excellence in highway design. Federal Highway Administration. 2002. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  15. ↑ Google (2007-07-07). "I-25 nearing Santa Fe" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  16. ↑ Julyan, Robert (1998). The Place Names of New Mexico (2nd ed.). University of New Mexico Press. Retrieved 13 February 2013. La Bajada hill is located 11 miles southwest of Santa Fe. From 1598, when Spanish colonists trudged beside lumbering oxcarts, to the early 20th century, when American tourists drove Model A automobiles, the steep and abrupt escarpment of La Bajada Hill was a notorious landmark on the road between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The old route up La Bajada Hill was barely 1.5 miles long, but it traversed tough volcanic rock; in the 20th century it included 23 hairpin turns and was the scene of countless frustrations and mishaps, from overturned wagons to boiling radiators. Residents of the village of La Bajada (see entry) at the hill's base named a spot on the hill Florida because a truck carrying oranges overturned there. In 1932, a new route up the escarpment was laid out, followed today by I-25, and the original route, 5 mi N and W, fell into disuse, though a few drivers still attempt it to test their vehicles' toughness. The name La Bajada now is gradually being transferred to the new route.
  17. ↑ "Glorieta Pass". Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway. The Santa Fe Trail Scenic Byway Profile. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  18. ↑ Google (2007-07-07). "I-25 near Las Vegas" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  19. ↑ "Raton Pass". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  20. ↑ Glassman, Steve (2008). It Happened on the Santa Fe Trail. Morris Publishing. p. ix. ISBN 0762745738. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
Interstate 25
Previous state:
Terminus		 New Mexico Next state:
Colorado

Route map: Bing

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