Origin
Apache Junction, AZ
Evening in Apache Junction on Friday
Local time
5:13 PM
MST
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Apache Junction, AZ to Glendale, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
45.1 mi
73 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Apache Junction, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Glendale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Apache Junction, AZ to Glendale, AZ covers 45.1 miles and takes about 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Superstition Freeway, Grand Avenue, Papago Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.6 miles on Superstition Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.98 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 45.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 58m highway drive covering 45.1 miles, with most of the trip on Superstition Freeway and Grand Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 22.6 miles on Superstition Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Superstition Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 22.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Superstition Freeway and Grand Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 45.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 31.3 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.3 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward US 60 West: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward US 60 West: Phoenix
6
31.3 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
I 10 / Papago Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 / Papago Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
6
33.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
I 10 / Papago Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 / Papago Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
37.4 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward 19th Avenue, Grand Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 143C
Toward 19th Avenue, Grand Avenue
6
37.7 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
North 19th Avenue
Turn right onto North 19th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Superstition Freeway | 22.6 mi | 26m |
| Grand Avenue | 7.1 mi | 12m |
| Papago Freeway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Maricopa Freeway | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| South Ironwood Drive | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| West Apache Trail | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| US 60 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Superstition Freeway
— 22.6 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Apache Junction, AZ and Glendale, AZ.
1
Start on North Apache Trail
196 ft
·
11 sec
·
North Apache Trail
2
Continue on North Apache Trail
376 ft
·
23 sec
·
North Apache Trail
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on US 80 Hist
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Apache Trail
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left onto South Ironwood Drive
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
South Ironwood Drive
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Toward US 60 West: Phoenix
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto US 60
23 mi
·
26 min
·
Superstition Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 60
0.6 mi
·
38 sec
·
US 60
Toward I 10 North
8
Merge onto I 10; US 60
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the slight left lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
12
Continue on I 10
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 143C
Toward 19th Avenue, Grand Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto North 19th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
North 19th Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
15
Turn slight left onto Grand Avenue
7.1 mi
·
12 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left / slight left lanes.
16
Arrive at destination
US 60
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 22.5 mi from Apache Junction, AZ · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.5 miles from Apache Junction, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Glendale, AZ
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Glendale, AZ if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.98 one way
$17.97 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $9.51 | $19.02 |
| premium | $5.59 | $9.93 | $19.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.96 | $19.92 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.74 | $2.16 |
| Efficient EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.95 | $1.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18 | 0 | $6.31 | $2.89 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Glendale, AZ
Evening in Glendale on Friday
Local time
5:13 PM
MST
Current temp
92°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
32 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
58m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Apache Junction, AZ to Glendale, AZ covers 45.1 miles and takes about 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Superstition Freeway, Grand Avenue, Papago Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 22.5 miles from Apache Junction, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.98 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 45.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 31.3 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.3 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Apache Junction, AZ to Glendale, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Tonto National Monument.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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