The drive from Buckeye, AZ to Nogales, AZ covers 213.1 miles and takes about 3h 54m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Nogales–Tucson Highway, Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 57.7 miles on Nogales–Tucson Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $42.45 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
106.5 miles from Buckeye, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 58m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 54m. Total distance: 213.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 3h 54m drive with frequent turns across 213.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Nogales–Tucson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 57.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near North 1st Street.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 213.1 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles (I 10 / Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.4 mi into trip|~0m in|North 1st Street
Turn right onto North 1st Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
4.6 mi into trip|~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 114
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
5
5.4 mi into trip|~10m in|I 10 / Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 10 / Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
38.5 mi into trip|~47m 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.
7
149.9 mi into trip|~2h 43m in
Take the exit toward I 19 South: Nogales
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 260
Toward I 19 South: Nogales
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Nogales–Tucson Highway
57.7 mi
1h 1m
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.6 mi
55m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
37.8 mi
38m
Papago Freeway
24.2 mi
27m
Maricopa Freeway
12.3 mi
14m
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
9.6 mi
10m
North Freeway
5.4 mi
6m
I 19 BUS
4.7 mi
7m
Longest stretch:
Nogales–Tucson Highway
— 57.7 mi, about 1h 1m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buckeye, AZ and Nogales, AZ.
1
Start on US 80 Hist
0.4 mi·59 sec·East Monroe Avenue
2
Turn right onto North 1st Street
0.5 mi·55 sec·North 1st Street
Use the right lane.
3
Continue on South Miller Road
3.7 mi·6 min·South Miller Road
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.7 mi·1 min
Exit 114Toward I 10 East: PhoenixUse the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 10
9.6 mi·10 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 10
20 mi·22 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
3.2 mi·3 min·Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
1.2 mi·1 min·Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 10; US 60
12 mi·14 min·Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 10
38 mi·38 min·Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 10
55 mi·55 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 10
5.4 mi·6 min·North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.5 mi·37 sec
Exit 260Toward I 19 South: NogalesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 19
58 mi·1 hr 1 min·Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit onto I 19 BUS
4.7 mi·7 min·I 19 BUS
Exit 8Toward I 19 Business: Grand Avenue
17
Turn left
129 ft·7 sec
18
Turn right onto North Morley Avenue
0.3 mi·1 min·North Morley Avenue
19
Turn left onto North Wayside Drive
91 ft·3 sec·North Wayside Drive
20
Arrive at destination
North Wayside Drive
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 106.5 miles from Buckeye, AZ, or about 1h 58m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 57.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 47 miles or 57m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 106.5 miles or 1h 58m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 10m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Nogales, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Buckeye, AZ so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Buckeye, AZ
This is one driving day of about 213.1 miles and 3h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 47 miles from Buckeye, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Nogales–Tucson Highway for about 57.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 106.5 mi from Buckeye, AZ
· 1h 58m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Tumacácori sits at a cultural crossroads in the Santa Cruz River valley. Here O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met and mingled with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers...
An Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether a gathering place for people or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of...
11 mi from route
~26 min detour
Free
near mile 80.8
Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are pr...
14 mi from route
~34 min detour
$25
near mile 146.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$42.45 one way
$84.90 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg75 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$44.93
$89.85
premium
$5.59
$46.91
$93.81
diesel
$5.61
$47.05
$94.10
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$42
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$67–$92
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 74.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
63.9
0
$22.38
$10.23
Efficient EV
53.3
0
$18.65
$8.52
EV Truck/SUV
85.2
1
$29.83
$13.64
Gas CO2
75 kg
EV CO2
25 kg (67% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Buckeye, AZ
Evening
in Buckeye on Friday
Local time
6:30 PM
MST
Current temp
89°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Nogales, AZ
Evening
in Nogales on Friday
Local time
6:30 PM
MST
Current temp
94°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
5 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
3h 54m 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 Buckeye, AZ to Nogales, AZ covers 213.1 miles and takes about 3h 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Nogales–Tucson Highway, Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 106.5 miles from Buckeye, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $42.45 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 213.1 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles (I 10 / Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Buckeye, AZ to Nogales, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Tumacácori National Historical Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Saguaro National Park.
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.
