Drive guide · 2 days, 2 campuses

UTEP and New Mexico State in 2 Days: An El Paso and Las Cruces College Road Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing The University of Texas at El Paso and New Mexico State University in Las Cruces in two days: how each visit works, where to park, four hotels from budget to upscale, drive times, desert museums for siblings and seasonal weather, every fact sourced and checked Oct 29, 2026.

Bhutanese-style buildings at UTEP in El Paso (2014). Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

Schools: The University of Texas at El Paso (El Paso, TX) · New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM)
Days: 2 days: UTEP on day 1, then about 48 minutes northwest to Las Cruces; NMSU on day 2. Arrive the evening before.
Fly into: El Paso International (ELP), about 26 minutes from the Hilton Garden Inn by UTEP with no traffic. NMSU's family page calls ELP the closest airport; it's about 1 hr 12 min from NMSU's admissions office, so fly home from ELP too.
Best base: Night 1: Hilton Garden Inn El Paso/University, about a 13-minute walk from UTEP's admissions office. Night 2: Courtyard by Marriott Las Cruces at NMSU, about 5 minutes by car from NMSU's visit check-in.
Car or transit: Rent a car: the campuses are about 41 miles apart, in two states, and the airport is in El Paso.
Registration: UTEP doesn't take tour sign-ups online: call (915) 747-5520 or email campusvisits@utep.edu. NMSU takes visit sign-ups online; a visit runs about 2 to 4 hours.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare two border-region universities in one short trip: The University of Texas at El Paso, below the Franklin Mountains, and New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, about 41 miles up the road.

UTEP's Office of Admissions & Recruitment is at 500 W. University Ave., and NMSU visits are based at the Educational Services Building on East University Avenue in Las Cruces.

Why this order

Day 1: a UTEP visit covers admissions, financial aid and academic programs, and the campus is known for its Bhutanese-inspired architecture and views of the Franklin Mountains.
Day 2: an NMSU campus visit includes an admissions information session, a guided campus tour and a meal provided by Dining Services, with optional academic sessions; plan on about 2 to 4 hours.
Between the two, the El Paso Museum of Art (always free) and the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum give younger siblings something to look forward to.

How the two visits work

UTEP: there's no online tour sign-up. To schedule a visit, call (915) 747-5520 or email campusvisits@utep.edu; out-of-town families can also call Admissions at 915-747-5890 for help planning.
NMSU: pick a date and time on the campus visit sign-up. In-person visits are offered multiple times per week, year-round, and there's a separate request form for school groups.

Tour availability varies by season.

UTEP's visitor meters and pay lots charge from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, so a weekday visit means paying for parking.
At NMSU, no parking permit is needed after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays or on weekends, and meters run 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
UTEP's Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens are closed from May 18 through Nov. 20, 2026; check the museum's page before planning a stop.

2. The suggested 2-day drive

All drive times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, and walk times use OpenStreetMap's foot profile.

Arrival evening: fly into El Paso

El Paso International (ELP) → Hilton Garden Inn El Paso/University (111 W. University Ave.)
Driving (no traffic)
~26 min, 13.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
Rental car

Expedia lists a free airport shuttle at both El Paso hotels in this guide, but you'll want a rental car for Las Cruces.

Day 1: UTEP, then drive to Las Cruces

Hilton Garden Inn El Paso/University → UTEP Office of Admissions & Recruitment (500 W. University Ave.)
Driving (no traffic)
~5 min, 1.6 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
~13 min walk, 0.6 mi
UTEP → El Paso Museum of Art (One Arts Festival Plaza, downtown)
Driving (no traffic)
~5 min, 2.3 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
Rental car
El Paso Museum of Art → Courtyard by Marriott Las Cruces at NMSU (456 E. University Ave.)
Driving (no traffic)
~49 min, 42.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
Rental car

Schedule your UTEP visit ahead by phone or email; the visit covers admissions, financial aid and academic programs.
If you drive to campus, the visitor section of the Sun Bowl Parking Garage (2301 Sun Bowl Dr., near University Avenue) is closest to the Bookstore, Centennial Plaza, the Library and the Administration Building.
For lunch, UTEP Dining runs spots across campus including Pick N' Shovel, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Einstein Bros. Bagels, El Sazon Minero and Hissho Sushi.
The El Paso Museum of Art is always free and is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Day 2: New Mexico State, then fly home

Courtyard Las Cruces at NMSU → NMSU Educational Services Building (1780 E. University Ave.)
Driving (no traffic)
~5 min, 1.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
~39 min walk, 1.8 mi
NMSU → New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum (4100 Dripping Springs Rd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~9 min, 3.3 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
Rental car
Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum → El Paso International (ELP)
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 14 min, 52.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
Rental car

Park in the spots marked Reserved For Future Aggies near the Educational Services Building; your visit includes an information session, a guided tour and a meal from Dining Services.
The Zuhl Museum on campus (775 College Dr.) shows more than 1,800 specimens of petrified wood, fossils and minerals.
The Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and many of its attractions are outdoors.
Driving straight from NMSU's admissions office to ELP takes about 1 hr 12 min, 51.8 miles, with no traffic.

3. Campus by campus

A long Bhutanese-style UTEP building with a cream facade, a dark red band with round medallions and a flared red roof on its corner tower, with students walking on the sidewalk under a clear blue sky — Bhutanese-style buildings at UTEP in El Paso (2014). Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

The University of Texas at El Paso (El Paso, TX)

Where visits start: UTEP doesn't list an online tour sign-up. To schedule a visit, call (915) 747-5520 or email campusvisits@utep.edu.
A visit covers admissions, financial aid and academic programs. Out-of-town families can call Admissions at 915-747-5890 for help scheduling.
If you can't make it in person, UTEP's interactive campus map has 360-degree panoramas of buildings and labs.
Visitor parking: Visitor meters have a 2-hour limit. Meters and visitor lots charge 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays: $5 for the first hour and $2 for each added hour, up to $13 a day, paid through ParkMobile or Tez.
The Sun Bowl Parking Garage visitor section (2301 Sun Bowl Dr.) is best for the Bookstore, Centennial Plaza, the Library and the Administration Building; the Hawthorne 1 lot (Schuster and Hawthorne) is best for the Mike Loya Academic Services Building.
UTEP runs a free campus shuttle, Miner Metro. Parking questions: (915) 747-5724 or parking@utep.edu.
Getting there: UTEP's admissions office is about a 13-minute walk or 5-minute drive from the Hilton Garden Inn, about 6 minutes by car from Hotel Paso Del Norte downtown and about 26 minutes from ELP with no traffic.
What to know: The UTEP photo in this guide shows the campus's Bhutanese-style buildings, which UTEP calls Bhutanese-inspired architecture.
UTEP's Orange and Blue Day page describes a 420-acre campus.
The Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens are closed through Nov. 20, 2026.
Contact: UTEP Office of Admissions & Recruitment, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968; futureminer@utep.edu, 915-747-5890. Campus visits: (915) 747-5520, campusvisits@utep.edu.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: UTEP: Future Miner events · UTEP: Interactive campus map · UTEP: Visitor parking

Foster Hall at New Mexico State University, a three-story cream stucco building with a red tile roof, behind a green lawn and trees under a partly cloudy sky — Foster Hall at New Mexico State University (Sep 2009). Photo: AllenS · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM)

Where visits start: A campus visit includes an admissions information session, a guided campus tour and a meal provided by Dining Services; optional academic sessions are also offered. Plan on about 2 to 4 hours.
Visits are offered multiple times per week throughout the year; pick a date and time on the sign-up page.
Undergraduate Admissions is in the Educational Services Building, Suite 850, at 1780 E. University Ave.
Visitor parking: Park in the spots marked Reserved For Future Aggies near the Educational Services Building.
Elsewhere on campus, no permit is needed after 4:30 p.m. or on weekends; meters cost $1.50 an hour from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
NMSU also offers a free single-day Visitor E-Permit online. Drivers of rental cars must pick it up at the Parking Office; questions go to 575-646-1839 or parking@nmsu.edu.
Getting there: The Educational Services Building is about 5 minutes by car from the Courtyard Las Cruces at NMSU, about 6 minutes from the Quality Inn & Suites and about 1 hr 12 min from ELP with no traffic.
What to know: The NMSU photo in this guide shows Foster Hall, a red-tile-roofed building on the Las Cruces campus.
Taos Restaurant is the all-you-care-to-eat dining room on the first floor of Corbett Center Student Union; NMSU Dining also takes pre-orders through the Grubhub app.
The Zuhl Museum on campus holds more than 1,800 specimens of petrified wood, fossils and minerals.
Contact: NMSU Undergraduate Admissions, Educational Services Building, Suite 850, 1780 E. University Ave., Las Cruces, NM 88003; 575-646-3121, admissions@nmsu.edu. Campus visits: 575-646-2704, visit@nmsu.edu.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: NMSU: Visit NMSU · NMSU: Group visit request · NMSU: Visitor parking · NMSU: Visiting Las Cruces (families)

4. Where to stay: one night in El Paso, one in Las Cruces

Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Hotel · Our pickMid-range

Hilton Garden Inn El Paso/University

111 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79902

Why here

It's about a 13-minute walk from UTEP's admissions office and about 26 minutes by car from ELP.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

Expedia lists 153 rooms, a free airport shuttle and an outdoor pool. Confirm parking and other details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateMid-range

Courtyard by Marriott Las Cruces at NMSU

456 E. University Ave., Las Cruces, NM 88005

Why here

Our night-2 base: about 5 minutes by car from NMSU's Educational Services Building, and it's on NMSU's own list of hotels for visiting families.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

Expedia lists free self-parking. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

Hotel Paso Del Norte, Autograph Collection

10 Henry Trost Ct., El Paso, TX 79901

Why here

Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
It's in downtown El Paso, about 6 minutes by car from UTEP and about 24 minutes from ELP with no traffic.

Good to know

Expedia lists 351 rooms, a free airport shuttle, a spa and a rooftop terrace. Confirm parking and other details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Quality Inn & Suites Las Cruces - University Area

2200 S. Valley Dr., Las Cruces, NM 88005

Why here

Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
It's about 6 minutes by car from NMSU's Educational Services Building with no traffic.

Good to know

Expedia lists 55 rooms, free breakfast and free self-parking. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Sleep near UTEP the first night so you can walk to campus in the morning, then drive to Las Cruces after your visit and spend night 2 a few minutes from NMSU. On day 2, ELP is a little over an hour away.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

On campus at UTEP

UTEP Dining is run by Sodexo, with spots in the Student Union Building and around campus; check hours before you go.

Eat

Pick N' Shovel

UTEP campus, El Paso, TX

UTEP's dining hall, listed among UTEP Dining's locations.

Details →

Eat

El Sazon Minero

UTEP campus, El Paso, TX

One of UTEP Dining's campus spots, alongside Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Hissho Sushi.

Details →

On campus at NMSU

NMSU Dining Services takes pre-orders through the Grubhub app; questions go to (575) 646-4801. Your campus visit includes a meal from Dining Services.

Eat

Taos Restaurant

Corbett Center Student Union, first floor, Las Cruces, NM

El Paso, TX, and Las Cruces, NM

Check the UTEP and NMSU athletics calendars for a home game on your dates.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

UTEP to the Courtyard Las Cruces at NMSU is about 41.4 miles and 48 minutes with no traffic, so plan the drive for after your UTEP visit.
At UTEP, visitor parking is paid on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. through ParkMobile or Tez. At NMSU, use the Reserved For Future Aggies spots near the Educational Services Building.

Flying in and out

El Paso International (ELP) is about 26 minutes from the Hilton Garden Inn and about 24 minutes from Hotel Paso Del Norte with no traffic.
NMSU's family page calls ELP the closest airport to Las Cruces; it's about 1 hr 12 min from NMSU's admissions office with no traffic, so allow extra time on day 2.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: El Paso International Airport)

Spring: April averages about 80°F highs and 53°F lows, with less than a quarter inch of rain.
Summer: July averages about 96°F/73°F, with about 1.6 inches of rain, so bring water and sun protection for the walking tours.
Fall: October averages about 79°F/54°F, with about 0.6 inch of rain.
Winter: January averages about 59°F/35°F, with about 0.8 inch of snow.

Parent checklist

Call or email UTEP to schedule a day-1 visit, and sign up for an NMSU campus visit for day 2.
Book a rental car at ELP.
Book night 1 in El Paso and night 2 in Las Cruces.
Have the ParkMobile or Tez app ready for UTEP visitor parking.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.

8. Student-athlete recruiting visits

For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.

Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.

Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.

2 Division I

Athletics

The University of Texas at El Paso

NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference

Athletics

New Mexico State University

NCAA Division I Conference USA

NCAA basics for parents

Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (The University of Texas at El Paso and New Mexico State University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.

Planning around the season

Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.

Student-athlete sources

All checked Oct 26, 2026.

Trip planner

Plan this trip

Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.

Sources

All checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.

UTEP: Visit campus (schedule a tour by phone or email)
UTEP: Orange and Blue Day FAQ
UTEP Parking and Transportation: Visitor parking
UTEP Parking and Transportation: Visitors
UTEP Dining: Locations
UTEP Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens
UTEP: Interactive campus map
NMSU Admissions: Visit NMSU
NMSU Admissions: Campus visit sign-up
NMSU Admissions: Get in touch
NMSU Families: Visiting Las Cruces
NMSU Parking: Visitor parking
NMSU Parking: Visitor E-Permit
NMSU Dining Services
Zuhl Museum, New Mexico State University
New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum: Planning your visit
New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum: Museum news (address)
El Paso Museum of Art: Visit
Texas Parks and Wildlife: Franklin Mountains State Park
Expedia listing: Hilton Garden Inn El Paso/University (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/El-Paso-Hotels-Hilton-Garden-Inn-El-Paso-University.h1507196.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Hotel Paso Del Norte, Autograph Collection (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/El-Paso-Hotels-Hotel-Paso-Del-Norte.h12389.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Courtyard by Marriott Las Cruces at NMSU (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Las-Cruces-Hotels-Courtyard-By-Marriott-Las-Cruces.h33994040.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Quality Inn & Suites Las Cruces - University Area (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Las-Cruces-Hotels-Quality-Inn-Suites-Las-Cruces-University-Area.h43177.Hotel-Information)
OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, El Paso International Airport, TX (USW00023044)
UTEP Miners Athletics: Calendar
NMSU Aggies Athletics: Calendar

Trip at a glance

1. Who this guide is for

Why this order

2. The suggested 2-day drive

Arrival evening: fly into El Paso

Day 1: UTEP, then drive to Las Cruces

Day 2: New Mexico State, then fly home

3. Campus by campus

The University of Texas at El Paso (El Paso, TX)

New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM)

4. Where to stay: one night in El Paso, one in Las Cruces

Hilton Garden Inn El Paso/University

Why here

Good to know

Courtyard by Marriott Las Cruces at NMSU

Why here

Good to know

Hotel Paso Del Norte, Autograph Collection

Why here

Good to know

Quality Inn & Suites Las Cruces - University Area

Why here

Good to know

5. Meals between tours

On campus at UTEP

Pick N' Shovel

El Sazon Minero

On campus at NMSU

Taos Restaurant

6. Things for siblings along the route

El Paso Museum of Art

Franklin Mountains State Park

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum

Zuhl Museum

A Miners or Aggies game

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

Flying in and out

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: El Paso International Airport)

Parent checklist

8. Student-athlete recruiting visits

The University of Texas at El Paso

New Mexico State University

NCAA basics for parents

Planning around the season

Student-athlete sources

Plan this trip

Planning more college trips?

Sources