U.S. Route 82 in New Mexico

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 82 in New Mexico. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 82.

U.S. Highway 82
Route information
Maintained by NMDOT
Major junctions
West end	US 54 / US 70 in La Luz
Major intersections	US 285 in Artesia NM 206
East end	US 82 at the Texas state line
Location
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
Counties	Otero, Chaves, Eddy, Lea
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided New Mexico State Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
← NM 81 → NM 83

U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from La Luz, New Mexico, east to Brunswick, Georgia. In the U.S. state of New Mexico, US 82 extends from La Luz and ends at the Texas state line northeast of Lovington.

Route description

US 82 begins at an intersection with US highways 54 and 70 north of Alamogordo, and south of La Luz, New Mexico. Heading east out of Alamogordo the road ascends into the Sacramento Mountains, traveling through the Lincoln National Forest. While climbing steep Mexican Canyon, the highway passes the abandoned railroad trestles of the El Paso and Northeastern Railway, and passes through the only road tunnel in New Mexico. The road then traverses the New Mexico villages of High Rolls, Cloudcroft, and Mayhill. After descending the mountains into the rugged, flat plains of eastern New Mexico, it generally follows a north-northeasterly bearing until Artesia, where it takes a more due-easterly bearing on through to Lovington, veering back slightly to the north before crossing into Texas.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Otero	La Luz	0.000	0.000	US 54 / US 70	Western terminus
	Cloudcroft	16.209	26.086	NM 130 east	Western terminus of NM 130
		17.600	28.324	NM 244 north	Southern terminus of NM 244
	Mayhill	34.674	55.802	NM 130 west	Eastern terminus of NM 130
Chaves	​	58.900	94.790	NM 24 north	Southern terminus of NM 24
	​	73.900	118.931	NM 13 north	Southern terminus of NM 13
Eddy	Artesia	107.461	172.942	US 285
	​	110.733	178.207	NM 229
	​	121.246	195.127	NM 360 south	Northern terminus of NM 360
	​	138.961	223.636	NM 529 east	Western terminus of NM 529
Lea	​	147.511	237.396	NM 249 west	Eastern terminus of NM 249
	​	163.091	262.470	NM 457 north	Southern terminus of NM 457
	Duran	164.974	265.500	NM 238 south	Northern terminus of NM 238
	Lovington	171.049	275.277	US 82 Bus.
		172.195	277.121	NM 18 south / NM 83 east	Northern terminus of NM 18; western terminus of NM 83
		173.795	279.696	US 82 Bus.
	​	176.332	283.779	NM 206 north	Southern terminus of NM 206
	​	192.557	309.890	US 82	Continuation into Texas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi