Origin
Glendale, AZ
Afternoon in Glendale on Thursday
Local time
1:50 PM
MST
Current temp
92°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Glendale, AZ to Linden, AZ
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
3h 46m
Distance
178.3 mi
287 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$36
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
3h 34m
★
6 AM
3h 47m
8 AM
4h 12m
10 AM
3h 56m
12 PM
3h 53m
3 PM
3h 57m
5 PM
4h 11m
8 PM
3h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Glendale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Linden, AZ
Sebastian Luna
Trip Overview
The drive from Glendale, AZ to Linden, AZ covers 178.3 miles and takes about 3h 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on AZ 260, Beeline Highway, Red Mountain Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 80.2 miles on AZ 260. At current regular gas prices, budget about $35.52 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
89.1 miles from Glendale, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 50m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 46m. Total distance: 178.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Drive Character
The drive from Glendale, AZ to Linden, AZ covers 178.3 miles and takes about 3h 46m, 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 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
AZ 260 is the longest continuous segment at about 80.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 8.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 178.3 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 8.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.5 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
8.1 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 East: Tucson
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
8
11.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 147
Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
6
11.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
8
11.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
8
24.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Payson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 13
Toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Payson
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Glendale, AZ to Linden, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Payson along the way.
Payson
24.3 mi in
|
~33m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| AZ 260 | 80.2 mi | 1h 45m |
| Beeline Highway | 68.4 mi | 1h 20m |
| Red Mountain Freeway | 12.9 mi | 15m |
| Grand Avenue | 7.8 mi | 13m |
| North Beeline Highway | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| Papago Freeway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| North Country Club Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
AZ 260
— 80.2 mi, about 1h 45m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Glendale, AZ and Linden, AZ.
1
Start on US 60
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Grand Avenue
2
Continue on US 60
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on Grand Avenue
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Grand Avenue
4
Turn right onto North 19th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
North 19th Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 10
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
8
Continue on I 10
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147
Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
11
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 13
Toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Payson
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn left onto AZ 87
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Country Club Drive
14
Continue on AZ 87
4.5 mi
·
5 min
·
North Beeline Highway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
15
Continue on AZ 87
68 mi
·
1 hr 20 min
·
Beeline Highway
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto AZ 260
80 mi
·
1 hr 45 min
·
AZ 260
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn right
115 ft
·
8 sec
18
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 89.1 miles from Glendale, AZ, or about 1h 50m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 80.2 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 39 miles or 51m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 89.1 miles or 1h 50m 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 4m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Linden, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Glendale, 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 Glendale, AZ
This is one driving day of about 178.3 miles and 3h 46m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 39 miles from Glendale, 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 AZ 260 for about 80.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 89.1 mi from Glendale, AZ · 1h 50m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
89 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 89.1 miles from Glendale, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before AZ 260 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 80.2 miles.
Arriving in Linden, AZ
The final approach into Linden, 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 Linden, AZ.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$35.52 one way
$71.04 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
62 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $37.59 | $75.18 |
| premium | $5.59 | $39.25 | $78.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $39.37 | $78.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$36
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$61–$86
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 62.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $19 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 53.5 | 0 | $18.72 | $8.56 |
| Efficient EV | 44.6 | 0 | $15.60 | $7.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 71.3 | 0 | $24.96 | $11.41 |
Gas CO2
62 kg
EV CO2
21 kg (66% 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
Linden, AZ
Afternoon in Linden on Thursday
Local time
1:50 PM
MST
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
44°F
Payson, AZ
89 mi in
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
52 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 46m 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 Glendale, AZ to Linden, AZ covers 178.3 miles and takes about 3h 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are AZ 260, Beeline Highway, Red Mountain Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 89.1 miles from Glendale, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $35.52 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 178.3 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 8.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.5 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
On the drive from Glendale, AZ to Linden, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Payson along the way.
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