The drive from Deer Valley, AZ to Rio Rico, AZ covers 189 miles and takes about 3h 28m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, Nogales–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 54.6 miles on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $37.65 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
94.5 miles from Deer Valley, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 42m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 28m. Total distance: 189 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 3h 28m drive with frequent turns across 189 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 54.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Deer Valley Road.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 28m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Deer Valley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 17 / Black Canyon Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 133.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip|~0m in|West Deer Valley Road
Turn left onto West Deer Valley Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
2.1 mi into trip|~4m in|I 17 / Black Canyon Freeway
Merge onto I 17 / Black Canyon Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
7
133.4 mi into trip|~2h 23m 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
5
186 mi into trip|~3h 19m in
Take the exit toward Rio Rico Drive, Yavapai Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Rio Rico Drive, Yavapai Drive
5
189 mi into trip|~3h 28m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.6 mi
55m
Nogales–Tucson Highway
52.2 mi
56m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
37.8 mi
38m
Black Canyon Freeway
17.1 mi
19m
Maricopa Freeway
16.3 mi
18m
North Freeway
5.4 mi
6m
Rio Rico Drive
1.3 mi
3m
West Deer Valley Road
1.2 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
— 54.6 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Deer Valley, AZ and Rio Rico, AZ.
1
Start on North 35th Avenue
37 ft·8 sec·North 35th Avenue
2
Turn left onto West Deer Valley Road
1.2 mi·2 min·West Deer Valley Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto North Black Canyon Highway
0.5 mi·55 sec·North Black Canyon Highway
4
Continue on this road
0.4 mi·47 sec·this road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 17
17 mi·19 min·Black Canyon Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on I 17; US 60
16 mi·18 min·Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 10
38 mi·38 min·Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 10
55 mi·55 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
5.4 mi·6 min·North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.5 mi·37 sec
Exit 260Toward I 19 South: NogalesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 19
52 mi·56 min·Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi·42 sec
Toward Rio Rico Drive, Yavapai Drive
13
Turn left onto Rio Rico Drive
1.3 mi·3 min·Rio Rico Drive
14
Turn right onto Pendleton Drive
0.7 mi·1 min·Pendleton Drive
15
Turn left onto Avenida Coatimundi
0.3 mi·48 sec·Avenida Coatimundi
16
Turn left onto Avenida Leon
0.3 mi·1 min·Avenida Leon
17
Turn left onto Yeso Court
290 ft·19 sec·Yeso Court
18
Turn left
204 ft·15 sec
19
Arrive at destination
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 94.5 miles from Deer Valley, AZ, or about 1h 42m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 54.6 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 42 miles or 49m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 94.5 miles or 1h 42m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 46m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Rio Rico, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Deer Valley, 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 Deer Valley, AZ
This is one driving day of about 189 miles and 3h 28m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 42 miles from Deer Valley, 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 Casa Grande-Tucson Highway for about 54.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 94.5 mi from Deer Valley, AZ
· 1h 42m 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...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
Free
near mile 65.2
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 130.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$37.65 one way
$75.30 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg66 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$39.85
$79.69
premium
$5.59
$41.60
$83.20
diesel
$5.61
$41.73
$83.46
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$38
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$63–$88
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 66.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $20 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
56.7
0
$19.85
$9.07
Efficient EV
47.3
0
$16.54
$7.56
EV Truck/SUV
75.6
0
$26.46
$12.10
Gas CO2
66 kg
EV CO2
22 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
Deer Valley, AZ
Morning
in Deer Valley on Friday
Local time
11:16 AM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Rio Rico, AZ
Morning
in Rio Rico on Friday
Local time
11:16 AM
MST
Current temp
86°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
2 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
3h 28m 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 Deer Valley, AZ to Rio Rico, AZ covers 189 miles and takes about 3h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, Nogales–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 94.5 miles from Deer Valley, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $37.65 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 is a straightforward 3h 28m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Deer Valley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 17 / Black Canyon Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 133.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Deer Valley, AZ to Rio Rico, 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.
