The drive from Fort Defiance, AZ to Surprise, AZ covers 331.8 miles and takes about 6h behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Purple Heart Trail, Arizona Veterans Highway, Navajo Route 12 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 161.3 miles on Purple Heart Trail.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $66.10 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
165.9 miles from Fort Defiance, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 1m into the drive
.
Sun City is a suburb 20 miles (30km) northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was built as a planned retirement community in Maricopa County in the 1960s. An adjacent retirement community Sun City West was built in the late 1970s; there is also a Sun City Grand. Directly northwest of the three "Sun City" suburbs is Surprise, Arizona.
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h. Total distance: 331.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 6h drive with frequent turns across 331.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Purple Heart Trail is the longest continuous segment at about 161.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 193.2 miles in.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 20 significant decision points across 331.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 193.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 193.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 310.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 20 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
193.2 mi into trip|~3h 29m in
Take the exit toward I 17 South, AZ 89A North: Phoenix, Flagstaff
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 17 South, AZ 89A North: Phoenix, Flags...
6
193.4 mi into trip|~3h 29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 17, AZ 89A South: Sedona, Phoenix
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 17, AZ 89A South: Sedona, Phoenix
7
310.3 mi into trip|~5h 28m in
Take the exit toward AZ 303 Loop South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 221
Toward AZ 303 Loop South
6
310.8 mi into trip|~5h 29m in|AZ 303 Loop
Turn right onto AZ 303 Loop
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
7
325.7 mi into trip|~5h 46m in
Take the exit toward El Mirage Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 123
Toward El Mirage Road
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Fort Defiance, AZ and Surprise, AZ, road signs point toward Flagstaff and Phoenix.
The midpoint is around 165.9 miles from Fort Defiance, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before Purple Heart Trail if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 161.3 miles.
Arriving in Surprise, AZ
The final approach into Surprise, AZ usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Surprise, AZ.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
National Monument
Established December 8, 1906, Montezuma Castle is the third National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture. This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff...
Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have lived and traveled throughout Walnut Canyon’s dynamic landscape. Vibrant communities built their homes in the cliffs and farmed along the canyon’s rim. T...
A landscape where deep time lies fully on display, Petrified Forest National Park blends colorful badlands, vast grasslands, and one of the world’s largest and most vivid collections of petrified wood...
The lava flow lies on the land like a dream, a wonderland of rock. A thousand years ago the ground was torn open and lava erupted into the sky, forever changing the landscape and the lives of the peop...
11 mi from route
~29 min detour
$25
near mile 179.9
Water flows under and through this landscape, feeding the growth of people and towns. The Verde Valley is watered by snowmelt, summer monsoons, and springs that well up from the ancient sedimentary ro...
15 mi from route
~37 min detour
$10
near mile 236.1
Nestled between the Painted Desert and ponderosa highlands of northern Arizona, Wupatki National Monument is an unlikely landscape for a thriving community. The early 1100's marked a time of cooler an...
25 mi from route
~62 min detour
$25
near mile 179.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$66.10 one way
$132.20 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg116 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$69.95
$139.90
premium
$5.59
$73.04
$146.07
diesel
$5.61
$73.26
$146.51
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$66
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$91–$116
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 116.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $35 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
99.5
1
$34.84
$15.93
Efficient EV
83
0
$29.03
$13.27
EV Truck/SUV
132.7
1
$46.45
$21.24
Gas CO2
116 kg
EV CO2
39 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Fort Defiance, AZ
Evening
in Fort Defiance on Friday
Local time
8:11 PM
MDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Surprise, AZ
Evening
in Surprise on Friday
Local time
7:11 PM
MST
Current temp
88°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
1 hour earlier
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
22 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
6h on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Fort Defiance, AZ to Surprise, AZ covers 331.8 miles and takes about 6h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, Arizona Veterans Highway, Navajo Route 12. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 165.9 miles from Fort Defiance, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $66.10 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 20 significant decision points across 331.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 193.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 193.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 310.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Fort Defiance, AZ and Surprise, AZ, road signs point toward Flagstaff and Phoenix.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Montezuma Castle National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument and Petrified Forest National Park. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.
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.
