Origin
Chandler, AZ
Late night in Chandler on Friday
Local time
5:16 AM
MST
Current temp
90°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chandler, AZ to Apache Junction, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
23.7 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chandler, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Apache Junction, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Chandler, AZ to Apache Junction, AZ covers 23.7 miles and takes about 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Santan Freeway, Superstition Freeway, East Chandler Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.4 miles on Santan Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.72 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 23.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Chandler, AZ to Apache Junction, AZ covers 23.7 miles and takes about 34m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Santan Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 9.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 23.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles (AZ 202 Loop / Santan Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
5.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Turn left toward AZ 202 Loop East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
5
6.3 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
AZ 202 Loop / Santan Freeway
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop / Santan Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
15.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward US 60 East: Globe
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 30A
Toward US 60 East: Globe
7
20.5 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Ironwood Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 195
Toward Ironwood Drive
5
23.7 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
North Apache Trail
Turn left onto North Apache Trail
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santan Freeway | 9.4 mi | 10m |
| Superstition Freeway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| East Chandler Boulevard | 3 mi | 5m |
| East Williams Field Road | 3 mi | 5m |
| South Ironwood Drive | 2 mi | 3m |
| West Apache Trail | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Apache Trail | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santan Freeway
— 9.4 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chandler, AZ and Apache Junction, AZ.
1
Start on East Chandler Boulevard
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
East Chandler Boulevard
2
Continue on East Williams Field Road
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
East Williams Field Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
29 sec
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop
9.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Santan Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 30A
Toward US 60 East: Globe
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto US 60
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Superstition Freeway
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 195
Toward Ironwood Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn left onto South Ironwood Drive
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
South Ironwood Drive
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto US 80 Hist
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Apache Trail
10
Turn slight left
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
11
Turn left onto North Apache Trail
178 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Apache Trail
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
North Apache Trail
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.72 one way
$9.44 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $5.00 | $9.99 |
| premium | $5.59 | $5.22 | $10.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.23 | $10.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Apache Junction, AZ
Late night in Apache Junction on Friday
Local time
5:16 AM
MST
Current temp
60°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
30 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
34m 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 Chandler, AZ to Apache Junction, AZ covers 23.7 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Santan Freeway, Superstition Freeway, East Chandler Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.9 miles from Chandler, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.72 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 8 decision points packed into just 23.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
The main spots that need attention: at 5.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles (AZ 202 Loop / Santan Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Chandler, AZ to Apache Junction, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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