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RUI to PAO: distance & flight time
Ruidoso (Sierra Blanca Regional Airport) → Palo Alto (Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County)
972 mi
1,564 km · 844 nm
2h 35m
estimated nonstop flight time
-1h
time difference · heading west
See live RUI→PAO fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
972 miles nonstop takes roughly 2h 35m gate to gate, flying west. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Remember to factor the 1-hour time set-back when reading arrival times on your ticket.
The two airports
- RUI — Sierra Blanca Regional Airport · Ruidoso, United States
- PAO — Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County · Palo Alto, United States
Distances are great-circle ("as the crow flies") — the same basis airlines use for frequent-flyer miles.
Alternate airports can cut this fare
Flying from or into a nearby airport is the #1 trick our agents use to beat online prices. Call and we'll compare every combination on one call.
Near RUI
- ALM · Alamogordo White Sands Regional Airport50 mi away
- HMN · Holloman Air Force Base54 mi away
- ROW · Roswell International Air Center Airport59 mi away
- WSD · Condron Army Air Field92 mi away
Near PAO
- SFO · San Francisco International Airport18 mi away
- NUQ · Moffett Federal Airfield5 mi away
- SQL · San Carlos Airport8 mi away
- SJC · Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport12 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is RUI from PAO?
The flight distance from Ruidoso (RUI) to Palo Alto (PAO) is 972 miles (1,564 km, 844 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from RUI to PAO?
A nonstop flight takes about 2h 35m gate to gate. Actual time varies with winds, routing and season — eastbound transatlantic flights, for example, are usually faster than the return.
Are there nonstop flights from RUI to PAO?
Nonstop service on RUI–PAO depends on the season and the day of week. Run the fare search on this page with the nonstop filter applied to see current direct options; when there is no nonstop, a single connection through a carrier hub adds roughly 2–4 hours to the 2h 35m nonstop estimate.
What is the time difference between Ruidoso and Palo Alto?
Palo Alto is 1 hour behind Ruidoso.
What is the cheapest way to fly from RUI to PAO?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on RUI–PAO that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.
Why are some RUI to PAO fares phone-only?
Consolidator contracts let us sell certain RUI–PAO tickets below the price airlines permit us to publish online, so those fares can only be quoted over the phone. Call the travel desk and an agent will check phone-only inventory for your dates.