Best Route- New Mexico to Florida

All of the Interstate Highway system is busy with trucks. They will be moving at about the same pace you can maintain in a motorhome. So best route depends on where in New Mexico to where in Florida. Las Cruces to Jacksonville it would be I-10 all the way. Farmington to Sarasota or Miami, many interesting options, where you go east, where you start going south. From Albuquerque to almost anywhere in Florida I would choose the first route suggested by 2gypsies, because I have a lot of experience with the Mississippi section, although coming from NE Oklahoma I have a preference for staying on I-40 to Little Rock, then using I-530/US-65 to get down into western Mississippi to connect with US-49.

If you are coming from northern New Mexico and drive on only Interstate highways, you are in a real fix, as there are no connections on a NW to SE diagonal.

2gypsies wrote:
You didn't give cities so I selected Albuquerque to Tallahassee:

1481 miles via I-40 to Amarillo, TX then 287 to I-20 Dallas, then at Jackson, MS pick up 49/98 to Mobile, AL to I-10 east

1504 miles via I-40 to Santa Rosa, NM then 84 to Sweetwater, TX & I-20, etc.

1543 miles via I-40 to Memphis (the route w/longest drive on I-40), then I-22 to Birmingham, AL, then I-654 to Montgomery, AL and 231 to I-10 east

That's 62 miles difference between the 3 routes. Take your pick. All will have semi trucks on their highways.

1579 miles

Follow I-40 E to US-285 S/US Hwy 285 S in Clines Corners. Take exit 218 from I-40 E
52 min (59.9 mi)
Get on US-277 N/US-67 N in San Angelo from US-380 E, TX-137 S and US-87 S
6 h 45 min (445 mi)
Continue on US-277 N/US-67 N to TX-306 Loop S. Take the TX-306 Loop exit from US-277 N/US-67 N
3 min (3.6 mi)
Follow US-87 S to TX-71 E/US-290 E in Austin
3 h 11 min (194 mi)
Continue to TX-71 E/Bastrop Fwy
13 min (13.4 mi)
Continue to Colorado County
1 h 11 min (79.8 mi)
Follow I-10 E, I-12 E and I-10 E to US-27 S/N Monroe St in Tallahassee. Take exit 199 from I-10 E
11 h 10 min (778 mi)
Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto US-27 S/N Monroe St (signs for Tallahassee)
Pass by Denny's (on the right in 0.6 mi)

If your further south starting just hit I10 straight shot across, LA has some big holes so watch the road.

I10 it's a straight shot to FL. LA has some big holes to watch for. Time travel through big city's so you don't hit rush hours. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Dotto on padredw. Then drop down to I-10 in Mississippi or Alabama. I-10 in Louisiana has construction between Lafayette and Baton Rouge and a section of 1 lane eastbound in Baton Rouge.

I would not take I-10 through Louisiana unless they have fixed it. Horrible, horrible, drive.

I think I've put this alternative route in a dozen times, but I think it is worth considering

gypsies wrote:
481 miles via I-40 to Amarillo, TX then 287 to I-20 Dallas, then at Jackson, MS pick up 49/98 to Mobile, AL to I-10 east

from 287 I would take US 82 just east of Wichita Falls and go at least to Sherman, TX or beyond. There are several good state and US highways that will connect from US 82 down to I-20--any one of them far better than going through Dallas/Fort Worth.

After driving both over the past few years, either are equivalent traffic and condition wise. Take the one closest to your starting point.

If speed is the most important factor, I'd just do whatever Google Maps tells me.

You didn't give cities so I selected Albuquerque to Tallahassee:

1481 miles via I-40 to Amarillo, TX then 287 to I-20 Dallas, then at Jackson, MS pick up 49/98 to Mobile, AL to I-10 east

1504 miles via I-40 to Santa Rosa, NM then 84 to Sweetwater, TX & I-20, etc.

1543 miles via I-40 to Memphis (the route w/longest drive on I-40), then I-22 to Birmingham, AL, then I-654 to Montgomery, AL and 231 to I-10 east

That's 62 miles difference between the 3 routes. Take your pick. All will have semi trucks on their highways.

Miramar 2018 wrote:
Best Route- New Mexico to Florida

I have a Class A motorhome-38 feet long. I will be traveling to Florida from New Mexico next month. I have heard I-40 is too busy with trucks. Should I take I-40 or I-10? I need to get there quickly and won't have time to stop and sight see. Thank you

What does Google say?