Origin
Avondale, AZ
Late night in Avondale on Saturday
Local time
12:53 AM
MST
Current temp
90°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Avondale, AZ to Tempe, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
29.5 mi
47 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Avondale, AZ
Abhishek Navlakha
Tempe, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 29.5-mile drive from Avondale, AZ to Tempe, AZ is a quick trip, typically taking around 37 minutes. Designed as a single-day excursion, it requires no overnight stays. The route is predominantly highway, making up 84% of the journey. You can expect a fuel cost of approximately $6 for this drive. Traveling within the Desert Southwest region, this route offers a straightforward connection between two Arizona cities, ideal for a short hop. With no designated stops in the data, it's a direct path from point A to point B.
About the Cities
Starting in Avondale, AZ
Full guide →Avondale is a city in the Greater Phoenix region of Arizona.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This drive is heavily focused on the highway, with 84% of the total mileage on freeways like the Papago Freeway and Red Mountain Freeway. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 16.4 miles on the Papago Freeway, suggesting a consistent, high-speed experience for a significant portion. While South Dysart Road is mentioned, the overall profile points to a predominantly freeway-style journey. The character is likely one of efficient travel, moving you quickly across the landscape with minimal local road detours.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Papago Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 16.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Papago Freeway and Red Mountain Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near South Dysart Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 29.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (South Dysart Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19.2 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South Dysart Road
At end of road, turn left onto South Dysart Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
8
19.2 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
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 147
Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
8
19.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
7
27.6 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward McClintock Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 8
Toward McClintock Drive
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Papago Freeway | 16.4 mi | 18m |
| Red Mountain Freeway | 8.3 mi | 10m |
| South Dysart Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| South McClintock Drive | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Western Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North Central Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Apache Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Papago Freeway
— 16.4 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Avondale, AZ and Tempe, AZ.
1
Start on this road
27 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Central Avenue
89 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Central Avenue
3
Turn left onto East Western Avenue
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
East Western Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
At end of road, turn left onto South Dysart Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Dysart Road
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 10
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
8
Continue on I 10
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147
Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
11
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
7.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 8
Toward McClintock Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn right onto South McClintock Drive
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
South McClintock Drive
Use the right lane.
14
Turn right onto US 80 Hist
60 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Apache Boulevard
Use the right lane.
15
Arrive at destination
US 80 Hist
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.88 one way
$11.75 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.22 | $12.44 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.49 | $12.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.51 | $13.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Tempe, AZ
Late night in Tempe on Saturday
Local time
12:53 AM
MST
Current temp
93°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
3 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
37m 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 Avondale, AZ to Tempe, AZ covers 29.5 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Papago Freeway, Red Mountain Freeway, South Dysart Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.8 miles from Avondale, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.88 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 11 decision points packed into just 29.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (South Dysart Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19.2 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Avondale, AZ to Tempe, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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