Origin
Mesa, AZ
Night in Mesa on Thursday
Local time
11:11 PM
MST
Current temp
93°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mesa, AZ to San Carlos, AZ
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
12m
Distance
6.9 mi
11 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 12m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 13m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mesa, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
San Carlos, AZ
Andrea Hinojosa
Trip Overview
The drive from Mesa, AZ to San Carlos, AZ covers 6.9 miles and takes about 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Country Club Drive, North Arizona Avenue, East University Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 4 miles on North Country Club Drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.37 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 12m. Total distance: 6.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 12m drive with frequent turns across 6.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 8 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Country Club Drive is the longest continuous segment at about 4 miles.
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. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 12m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles (West Elliot Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.6 miles (North Hartford Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive
Turn left onto AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
6.1 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
West Elliot Road
Turn right onto West Elliot Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
6.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
North Hartford Street
Turn left onto North Hartford Street
Navigation decision point
4
6.9 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
6.9 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Country Club Drive | 4 mi | 7m |
| North Arizona Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| East University Drive | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Elliot Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Hartford Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Country Club Drive
— 4 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mesa, AZ and San Carlos, AZ.
1
Start on East University Drive
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
East University Drive
2
Turn left onto AZ 87
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
North Country Club Drive
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on AZ 87
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Arizona Avenue
4
Turn right onto West Elliot Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Elliot Road
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto North Hartford Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
North Hartford Street
6
Turn right
141 ft
·
13 sec
7
Turn right
102 ft
·
7 sec
8
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.37 one way
$2.75 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $1.45 | $2.91 |
| premium | $5.59 | $1.52 | $3.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.52 | $3.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.72 | $0.33 |
| Efficient EV | 1.7 | 0 | $0.60 | $0.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.97 | $0.44 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
San Carlos, AZ
Night in San Carlos on Thursday
Local time
11:11 PM
MST
Current temp
90°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
3 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
12m 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 Mesa, AZ to San Carlos, AZ covers 6.9 miles and takes about 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Country Club Drive, North Arizona Avenue, East University Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.5 miles from Mesa, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.37 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.
This is a straightforward 12m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles (West Elliot Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.6 miles (North Hartford Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Mesa, AZ to San Carlos, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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