Origin
Gilbert, AZ
Late night in Gilbert on Friday
Local time
2:20 AM
MST
Current temp
93°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gilbert, AZ to Blackwater, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
48m
Distance
29.9 mi
48 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gilbert, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Blackwater, AZ
Yanming Guo
Trip Overview
The drive from Gilbert, AZ to Blackwater, AZ covers 29.9 miles and takes about 48m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Junction I-10-Mesa Highway, North Gilbert Road, Blackwater School Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.2 miles on Junction I-10-Mesa Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.96 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 48m. Total distance: 29.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Gilbert, AZ to Blackwater, AZ covers 29.9 miles and takes about 48m, 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 7 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Junction I-10-Mesa Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Elm Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Gilbert, AZ to Blackwater, AZ is easy. At 48m with 44% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Elm Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Cullumber Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (North Gilbert Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Elm Street
Turn left onto North Elm Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Cullumber Avenue
Turn left onto East Cullumber Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Gilbert Road
Turn left onto North Gilbert Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
12.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
AZ 87 / Junction I-10-Mesa Highway
Turn left onto AZ 87 / Junction I-10-Mesa Highway
Navigation decision point
3
26.2 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
Blackwater School Road
Turn left onto Blackwater School Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Junction I-10-Mesa Highway | 13.2 mi | 19m |
| North Gilbert Road | 12.8 mi | 21m |
| Blackwater School Road | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| East Cullumber Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Elm Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Junction I-10-Mesa Highway
— 13.2 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gilbert, AZ and Blackwater, AZ.
1
Start on this road
203 ft
·
20 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Elm Street
244 ft
·
13 sec
·
North Elm Street
3
Turn left onto East Cullumber Avenue
436 ft
·
24 sec
·
East Cullumber Avenue
4
Turn left onto North Gilbert Road
13 mi
·
21 min
·
North Gilbert Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn left onto AZ 87
13 mi
·
19 min
·
Junction I-10-Mesa Highway
6
Turn left onto Blackwater School Road
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Blackwater School Road
7
Arrive at destination
Blackwater School Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.96 one way
$11.91 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.30 | $12.61 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.58 | $13.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.60 | $13.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 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 | 9 | 0 | $3.14 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.62 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.19 | $1.91 |
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
Blackwater, AZ
Late night in Blackwater on Friday
Local time
2:20 AM
MST
Current temp
92°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
1 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
48m 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 Gilbert, AZ to Blackwater, AZ covers 29.9 miles and takes about 48m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Junction I-10-Mesa Highway, North Gilbert Road, Blackwater School Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15 miles from Gilbert, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.96 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.
The drive from Gilbert, AZ to Blackwater, AZ is easy. At 48m with 44% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Elm Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Cullumber Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (North Gilbert Road): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Gilbert, AZ to Blackwater, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
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. National park proximity is from the NPS API. 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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