Trip from Lake Havasu City, AZ to Sedona, AZ

Drive Time

4h 25m

Distance

232 mi

373 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$46

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
4h 12m ★
6 AM
4h 25m
8 AM
4h 52m
10 AM
4h 35m
12 PM
4h 32m
3 PM
4h 36m
5 PM
4h 51m
8 PM
4h 17m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Lake Havasu City, AZ, AZ

Lake Havasu City, AZ

Smallz !

city in Yavapai and Coconino counties in Arizona, United States

Sedona, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Lake Havasu City, AZ to Sedona, AZ covers 232 miles and takes about 4h 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Smoketree Avenue North, North Acoma Boulevard, Quartzsite–Parker–Topock Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $46.17 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

116 miles from Lake Havasu City, AZ

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 12m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 25m drive with frequent turns across 232 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.
Smoketree Avenue North is one of the defining roads on this drive.

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.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 4h 25m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Lake Havasu City, AZ to Sedona, AZ is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Smoketree Avenue North Unavailable Refreshing
North Acoma Boulevard Unavailable Refreshing
Quartzsite–Parker–Topock Highway Unavailable Refreshing
I 40 East Unavailable Refreshing
Purple Heart Trail Unavailable Refreshing
I 17 Unavailable Refreshing
I 17 South Unavailable Refreshing
Arizona Veterans Highway Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Smoketree Avenue North — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lake Havasu City, AZ and Sedona, AZ.

1

Start on Mescal Loop

52 ft · 7 sec · Mescal Loop
2

Turn left onto Smoketree Avenue North

0.2 mi · 29 sec · Smoketree Avenue North
3

Turn right onto North Acoma Boulevard

2.1 mi · 3 min · North Acoma Boulevard
4

Turn right onto Quartzsite–Parker–Topock Highway

18 mi · 22 min · Quartzsite–Parker–Topock Highway
5

Take the exit right toward I 40 East

0.4 mi · 47 sec · I 40 East
6

Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail

184 mi · 3 hr 4 min · Purple Heart Trail
7

Take the exit slight right toward I 17, AZ 89A: Phoenix, Flagstaff

0.3 mi · 32 sec · I 17, AZ 89A: Phoenix, Flagstaff
8

Keep slight right to continue on I 17 South, AZ 89A: Sedona, Phoenix

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 17 South, AZ 89A: Sedona, Phoenix
9

Merge slight left onto Arizona Veterans Highway

1.4 mi · 1 min · Arizona Veterans Highway
10

Take the exit slight right toward Shamrell Boulevard, 89A, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport

0.6 mi · 1 min · Shamrell Boulevard, 89A, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
11

Exit the rotary onto John Wesley Powell Boulevard

341 ft · 6 sec · John Wesley Powell Boulevard
12

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward State Highway 89A

190 ft · 4 sec · State Highway 89A
13

Exit the roundabout onto State Highway 89A

0.6 mi · 55 sec · State Highway 89A
14

Continue on Prescott–Flagstaff Highway

22 mi · 44 min · Prescott–Flagstaff Highway
15

Continue on Prescott-Flagstaff Highway

1.2 mi · 2 min · Prescott-Flagstaff Highway
16

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Prescott–Flagstaff Highway

82 ft · 2 sec · Prescott–Flagstaff Highway
17

Exit the roundabout onto Prescott–Flagstaff Highway

0.3 mi · 1 min · Prescott–Flagstaff Highway
18

Enter the roundabout toward North State Route 89A

89 ft · 2 sec · North State Route 89A
19

Arrive at your 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 116 miles from Lake Havasu City, AZ, or about 2h 12m into the drive.

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 80 miles or 1h 31m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 116 miles or 2h 12m 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 37m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Sedona, AZ than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Lake Havasu City, 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 Lake Havasu City, AZ

This is one driving day of about 232 miles and 4h 25m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Lake Havasu City, 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.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 116 mi from Lake Havasu City, AZ · 2h 12m into the drive

Downtown Flagstaff, AZ, AZ

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Flagstaff, AZ

116 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.

Popular next leg

Flagstaff, AZ to Sedona, AZ

29.3 mi · 57m

Pacing Suggestions

Surprise, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Flagstaff, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 116 miles from Lake Havasu City, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Sedona, AZ

The final approach into Sedona, 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 Sedona, 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

$46.17 one way

$92.34 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 81 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.34 $48.76 $97.51
premium $5.59 $51.03 $102.06
diesel $5.64 $51.54 $103.08

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$46

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$71–$96

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 81.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $24 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 69.6 0 $24.36 $11.14
Efficient EV 58 0 $20.30 $9.28
EV Truck/SUV 92.8 1 $32.48 $14.85

Gas CO2

81 kg

EV CO2

27 kg (67% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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 data refreshed 4 days ago

Origin

Lake Havasu City, AZ

Afternoon in Lake Havasu City on Monday

Local time

12:19 PM

MST

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Sedona, AZ

Afternoon in Sedona on Monday

Local time

12:19 PM

MST

Current temp

49°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

15 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

4h 25m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Lake Havasu City, AZ to Sedona, AZ covers 232 miles and takes about 4h 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Smoketree Avenue North, North Acoma Boulevard, Quartzsite–Parker–Topock Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 116 miles from Lake Havasu City, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $46.17 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. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 25m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Lake Havasu City, AZ to Sedona, AZ is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Lake Havasu City, AZ to Sedona, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Sedona, AZ to Lake Havasu City, AZ

Plan the drive back the other way.

232.8 mi 4h 26m

Explore more options from Lake Havasu City, AZ or browse trips ending in Sedona, AZ.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AZ road trips.

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