The fair place to meet is Phoenix, AZ — the city closest to the midpoint of Albuquerque and Los Angeles. From the farther side that’s about 7 hr 29 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Phoenix, AZ
From Albuquerque
6 hr 55 min
330 mi to Phoenix
From Los Angeles
7 hr 29 min
357 mi to Phoenix
Albuquerque has the shorter trip; the split is off by about 34 min. The alternatives below can even it out. Albuquerque and Los Angeles are about 663 miles apart.
Albuquerque and Los Angeles are about 663 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Phoenix, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That puts roughly 6 hr 55 min of driving on the Albuquerque side and 7 hr 29 min on the Los Angeles side — the fairest single meeting point among the cities near the middle.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Phoenix suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Phoenix doesn't have what you're after, Tucson and Las Vegas are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Albuquerque and Los Angeles.
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. Read more →
Albuquerque is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Founded in 1706 as La Villa de Alburquerque by Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, and named in honor of Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque… Read more →
Los Angeles (LA) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.