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Trip from Phoenix, AZ to Black Canyon City, AZ

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

54m

Distance

46 mi

74 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 50m ★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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seat of Maricopa County, largest city in, and capital of, the State of Arizona, United States

Phoenix, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

census designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States

Black Canyon City, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Phoenix, AZ to Black Canyon City, AZ covers 46 miles and takes about 54m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Black Canyon Freeway, Phoenix–Cordes Junction Highway, South Old Black Canyon Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 39.4 miles on Black Canyon Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.16 one way before food or hotel costs.

About the Cities

Starting in Phoenix, AZ

Full guide →

Phoenix is the capital of the state of Arizona, the most populous city in the American Southwest. Warm and sunny winter weather have ensured a thriving tourism industry, and the city has become the region's primary political, cultural, economic, and transportation center. Phoenix is extremely hot and dry in the summertime, so always have sunscreen with you! It had about 1,625,000 residents in 2021, and is the fifth largest city in the United States.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 46 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

54m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 54m highway drive covering 46 miles, with most of the trip on Black Canyon Freeway and Phoenix–Cordes Junction Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 39.4 miles on Black Canyon Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Black Canyon Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 39.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Black Canyon Freeway and Phoenix–Cordes Junction Highway. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near West Washington Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 46 miles you will encounter 8 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 1 miles (West Washington Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.1 miles (I 17; US 60 / Black Canyon Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
1 mi into trip | ~2m in | West Washington Street

Keep slight right at fork onto West Washington Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
2 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the ramp toward I 17 North, US 60 West: Flagstaff

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 17 North, US 60 West: Flagstaff
5
2.1 mi into trip | ~4m in | I 17; US 60 / Black Canyon Freeway

Merge onto I 17; US 60 / Black Canyon Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
44.1 mi into trip | ~50m in

Take the exit toward Rock Springs, Black Canyon City

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 242 Toward Rock Springs, Black Canyon City
5
44.4 mi into trip | ~51m in | Rock Springs Road

Turn left onto Rock Springs Road

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Black Canyon Freeway 39.4 mi 43m
Phoenix–Cordes Junction Highway 2.6 mi 2m
South Old Black Canyon Highway 1.3 mi 2m
West Washington Street 1.2 mi 2m
West Adams Street 0.8 mi 1m
Rock Springs Road 0.2 mi <1m
East Palm Lane 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Black Canyon Freeway — 39.4 mi, about 43m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Phoenix, AZ and Black Canyon City, AZ.

1

Start on West Washington Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · West Washington Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
2

Keep slight right at fork onto West Washington Street

0.2 mi · 20 sec · West Washington Street
Use the right lane.
3

Continue on West Adams Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Adams Street
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Toward I 17 North, US 60 West: Flagstaff
5

Merge onto I 17; US 60

39 mi · 43 min · Black Canyon Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on I 17

2.6 mi · 2 min · Phoenix–Cordes Junction Highway
7

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Exit 242 Toward Rock Springs, Black Canyon City Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn left onto Rock Springs Road

0.2 mi · 18 sec · Rock Springs Road
9

At end of road, turn right onto South Old Black Canyon Highway

1.3 mi · 2 min · South Old Black Canyon Highway
10

Turn right onto East Palm Lane

0.1 mi · 23 sec · East Palm Lane
11

Arrive at destination

East Palm Lane

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 23 mi from Phoenix, AZ · 27m into the drive

Downtown Deer Valley, AZ, AZ

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Deer Valley, AZ

23 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

Deer Valley, AZ to Black Canyon City, AZ

28.9 mi · 33m

Pacing Suggestions

Glendale, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Deer Valley, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23 miles from Phoenix, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Black Canyon City, AZ

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Black Canyon City, AZ if you are unfamiliar with the area.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.16 one way

$18.33 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.36 $9.70 $19.40
premium $5.59 $10.13 $20.25
diesel $5.61 $10.16 $20.31

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.8 0 $4.83 $2.21
Efficient EV 11.5 0 $4.02 $1.84
EV Truck/SUV 18.4 0 $6.44 $2.94

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Phoenix, AZ

Evening in Phoenix on Friday

Local time

6:09 PM

MST

Current temp

85°F

Sunny

WSW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 10:52AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 3:02AM MST until April 17 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ

Destination

Black Canyon City, AZ

Evening in Black Canyon City on Friday

Local time

6:09 PM

MST

Current temp

79°F

Sunny

S 6 to 14 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 10:52AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 3:02AM MST until April 17 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ

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

6 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

54m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Phoenix, AZ to Black Canyon City, AZ covers 46 miles and takes about 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Black Canyon Freeway, Phoenix–Cordes Junction Highway, South Old Black Canyon Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 23 miles from Phoenix, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.16 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 46 miles you will encounter 8 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 1 miles (West Washington Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.1 miles (I 17; US 60 / Black Canyon Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Phoenix, AZ to Black Canyon City, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Black Canyon City, AZ to Phoenix, AZ

Plan the drive back the other way.

46.1 mi 55m

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