The drive from Holbrook, AZ to Deer Valley, AZ covers 215.6 miles and takes about 3h 42m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Arizona Veterans Highway, Purple Heart Trail, Black Canyon Freeway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 93 miles on Arizona Veterans Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $42.95 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
107.8 miles from Holbrook, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 51m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 42m. Total distance: 215.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 3h 42m drive with frequent turns across 215.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Arizona Veterans Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 93 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 90.8 miles in.
Driving Effort6/10
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 215.6 miles you will encounter 9 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 90.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 91 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 214.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
90.8 mi into trip|~1h 33m 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
91 mi into trip|~1h 33m 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
8
214.1 mi into trip|~3h 39m in
Take the exit toward Deer Valley Road, Rose Garden Lane
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 215B
Toward Deer Valley Road, Rose Garden Lane
5
214.4 mi into trip|~3h 40m in|West Deer Valley Road
Turn right onto West Deer Valley Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
215.6 mi into trip|~3h 42m in|North 35th Avenue
Turn right onto North 35th Avenue
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Holbrook, AZ and Deer Valley, AZ, road signs point toward Flagstaff and Phoenix.
The midpoint is around 107.9 miles from Holbrook, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Deer Valley, AZ
The final approach into Deer Valley, 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 Deer Valley, AZ.
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...
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
~28 min detour
$25
near mile 81.8
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
~36 min detour
$10
near mile 141.3
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...
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
~63 min detour
$25
near mile 81.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$42.95 one way
$85.90 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg75 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$45.45
$90.91
premium
$5.59
$47.46
$94.91
diesel
$5.61
$47.60
$95.20
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$43
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$68–$93
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 75.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
64.7
0
$22.64
$10.35
Efficient EV
53.9
0
$18.87
$8.62
EV Truck/SUV
86.2
1
$30.18
$13.80
Gas CO2
75 kg
EV CO2
25 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
Holbrook, AZ
Night
in Holbrook on Friday
Local time
11:31 PM
MST
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Deer Valley, AZ
Night
in Deer Valley on Friday
Local time
11:31 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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
12 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
3h 42m 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 Holbrook, AZ to Deer Valley, AZ covers 215.6 miles and takes about 3h 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Arizona Veterans Highway, Purple Heart Trail, Black Canyon Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 107.8 miles from Holbrook, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $42.95 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 215.6 miles you will encounter 9 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 90.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 91 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 214.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Holbrook, AZ and Deer Valley, AZ, road signs point toward Flagstaff and Phoenix.
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.
