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Major city · United States

Amarillo

Give Amarillo two nights with a car: one full day for Palo Duro Canyon, one half-day for Cadillac Ranch and Route 66, then drive on.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (35°C+ afternoons), late Dec–Feb ice storms
Airports
AMA · TDW
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Amarillo is the hub of the Texas Panhandle and the practical base for Palo Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the United States, 27 miles southeast. The city itself is a car town strung along I-40: Route 66 kitsch, a serious quarter-horse museum, steak and Tex-Mex. Two nights covers it; a car turns it from a fuel stop into a stop worth making.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Amarillo, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–6
  • Sit-down mealSteak dinner, mid-range steakhouse$28–55
  • Street or quick mealBreakfast burrito or diner plate$10–18
  • Beerdraught in a bar / six-pack at a store$6–9$9–14
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi or rideshareRideshare coverage thins late at night.$12–18
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25
  • Museum or sight ticketPalo Duro Canyon day-use entry$8 per person
  • Budget bedFamily room or suite (up to 4), a night, per roomUS$120
  • Mid-range bedMid-range motel double room, a night, per roomUS$120
  • High-end bedMid-range motel double room, a night, per roomUS$200

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$130 · High US$250

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Cadillac RanchPalo Duro Canyon gatewayRoute 66 and the Big TexanAmerican Quarter Horse Hall of Fame
Airports
AMA Rick Husband Amarillo International (Nonstop to Dallas, Houston, Denver and Las Vegas; about 11 km east of downtown, no public bus to the terminal.) · TDW Tradewind Airport (General aviation only, about 5 km south of downtown.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Amarillo: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

10°C

−4°C

3 rd

Feb

12°C

−3°C

4 rd

Mar

17°C

1°C

5 rd

Apr

22°C

6°C

5 rd

May

27°C

11°C

7 rd

Jun

32°C

16°C

7 rd

Jul

34°C

19°C

7 rd

Aug

33°C

18°C

7 rd

Sep

29°C

14°C

6 rd

Oct

23°C

7°C

4 rd

Nov

16°C

1°C

3 rd

Dec

11°C

−4°C

3 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is close to essential: sights sit 5–25 km apart along I-40 and Loop 335, and Amarillo City Transit runs limited routes with long waits. Downtown avenues are named for presidents west to east; most cross streets are numbered. Old Route 66 is Amarillo Boulevard, running just north of downtown and the airport.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Palo Duro Canyon State Parkgo

Door to door: About 45–60 min

US 87 south to Canyon, then Park Road 5; car only

Second-largest canyon in the US, about 120 miles long and up to 800 ft deep. Day-use entry fee per person; book timed entry online in peak season.

Cadillac Ranch

go

Door to door: About 20 min

I-40 west frontage road, exit 60

Ten half-buried Cadillacs in a field; free, open access, walk about 100 yards from the roadside. Bring your own spray paint.

Vega, Texas

go

Door to door: About 30 min

I-40 west, about 28 miles

Well-preserved Route 66 buildings and nearby ghost towns; pair with Cadillac Ranch on the same westbound run.

Borger and Alibates Flint Quarries

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

TX-136 north, about 35 miles to the monument

Quarry tours are ranger-led and by reservation only — check dates before you drive.

Pampa

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

US 60 east, about 55 miles

Route 66 and oil-boom heritage; a half-day if you are already heading east.

McLean, Texas

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

I-40 east, about 70 miles

Small Route 66 town with a restored filling station; combine with Shamrock and Adrian on a full eastbound day.

Shamrock

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

I-40 east, about 90 miles

Art Deco Route 66 main street; long for a return trip, better as a stop en route to Oklahoma.

Adrian, Texas

go

Door to door: About 1 h

I-40 west, about 55 miles

The midpoint of Route 66; a photo stop, not a day.

Wellington, Texasskip

Door to door: About 1 h 45 min

US 287 south then US 83, about 100 miles

Too far for a day return from Amarillo.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown / Polk Street

Walkable bars and restaurants between 7th and 8th; the only area where you can leave the car parked.

I-40 West (Coulter and Soncy)

The motel strip: cheapest beds, Westgate Mall, 15–20 min drive from downtown.

East I-40 near the airport

One-night airport stopovers; nothing to walk to.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
$130–200 excl. bed
High
$250+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range motel double room1 × 2 nights × US$120US$240
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$130US$520
Compact car hire, one day1 × US$55US$55
Palo Duro Canyon day-use entry, per person2 × US$8US$16
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$86
Trip total≈ US$237 per person per day, bed includedUS$947

2026 estimate in US dollars; car hire and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Breakfast burrito or diner plate$10–18
Steak dinner, mid-range steakhouse$28–55
Beer: draught in a bar / six-pack at a store$6–9 / $9–14
5 km taxi or rideshareRideshare coverage thins late at night.$12–18
Palo Duro Canyon day-use entry$8 per person
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Amarillo is a normal mid-size US city: violent crime concentrates in a few pockets, so stay downtown or on the I-40 west motel strip and lock the car. The bigger risks are heat, dehydration and long empty drives.
  • Summer afternoons hit 35°C+; hike Palo Duro before 10:00 or after 17:00 and carry more water than you think you need.
  • Spring brings hail, high wind and tornado watches; check the forecast before a canyon day.
  • Distances are deceptive — Palo Duro's gate is 27 miles from downtown, so budget an hour each way with stops.
  • Some Route 66 roadside stops and small museums keep short or seasonal hours: check before driving out.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

AmarilloAmarillo

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No consulates in Amarillo; nearest consulates-general are in Dallas, Houston and Denver — check your country's list.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • AMA airport → downtown, taxi or rideshare: about $25–35, 15–20 min
  • Downtown → Palo Duro Canyon gate: about 27 miles, 45–60 min by car
  • Amarillo City Transit single ride: low fare, limited routes and hours

Say or show

  • Where is the rental car return? — Where is the rental car return?
  • A table for two, please — A table for two, please
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • How far is Palo Duro Canyon? — How far is Palo Duro Canyon?
  • Is there a fee to park here? — Is there a fee to park here?
  • Thank you — Thank you

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Amarillo. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (35°C+ afternoons), late Dec–Feb ice storms · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 9 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for AMA: last flight arrivals, taxi and rideshare fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four driving clusters with anchors: downtown and Polk Street, I-40 west (Cadillac Ranch, Vega), Palo Duro and Canyon, east I-40 (Big Texan, airport museums).
  3. Place pages with verified hours and fees (Palo Duro, Quarter Horse Museum, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Heat, hail and wind fixtures so canyon days can be flagged green or red.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources