The drive from Phoenix, AZ to Holbrook, AZ covers 186.3 miles and takes about 3h 54m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Beeline Highway, AZ 260, Heber Road for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 68.4 miles on Beeline Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $37.11 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
93.2 miles from Phoenix, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 52m into the drive
.
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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 54m. Total distance: 186.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Phoenix, AZ to Holbrook, AZ covers 186.3 miles and takes about 3h 54m, 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 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Beeline Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 68.4 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 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near North 7th Avenue.
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 186.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.5 miles (North 7th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.7 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|North 7th Avenue
Turn right onto North 7th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
3.6 mi into trip|~5m 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
3.7 mi into trip|~6m 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
4 mi into trip|~6m 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
16.5 mi into trip|~21m 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 Phoenix, AZ to Holbrook, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Payson along the way.
Payson
16.5 mi in|~21m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Beeline Highway
68.4 mi
1h 20m
AZ 260
53 mi
1h 11m
Heber Road
30.9 mi
36m
Red Mountain Freeway
12.9 mi
15m
West 3rd Street North
4.9 mi
6m
North Beeline Highway
4.5 mi
5m
Heber-Holbrook Highway
2.9 mi
3m
Highway 277
1.9 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
Beeline Highway
— 68.4 mi, about 1h 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Phoenix, AZ and Holbrook, AZ.
1
Start on West Washington Street
0.5 mi·1 min·West Washington Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
2
Turn right onto North 7th Avenue
0.8 mi·1 min·North 7th Avenue
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·46 sec
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
4
Merge onto I 10
0.5 mi·31 sec·Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
5
Continue on I 10
1.4 mi·1 min·Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.1 mi·7 sec·Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop EastUse the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.3 mi·41 sec·Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147AToward AZ 202 Loop East
8
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
12 mi·14 min·Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147AToward AZ 202 Loop EastUse the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi·46 sec
Exit 13Toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, PaysonUse the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto AZ 87
0.5 mi·1 min·North Country Club Drive
11
Continue on AZ 87
4.5 mi·5 min·North Beeline Highway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12
Continue on AZ 87
68 mi·1 hr 20 min·Beeline Highway
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto AZ 260
53 mi·1 hr 11 min·AZ 260
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn left onto AZ 277
1.9 mi·3 min·Highway 277
15
Continue on AZ 277
4.9 mi·6 min·West 3rd Street North
16
Turn left onto AZ 377
2.9 mi·3 min·Heber-Holbrook Highway
17
Turn straight onto AZ 377
31 mi·36 min·Heber Road
18
Turn left onto AZ 77
1.6 mi·2 min·Show Low-Holbrook Highway
19
Continue on US 180; AZ 77
0.5 mi·56 sec·Holbrook-Springerville Highway
20
Continue on US 180; AZ 77
0.2 mi·21 sec·Navajo Boulevard
21
Arrive at destination
I 40 Bus; AZ 77; US 66 Hist
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 93.2 miles from Phoenix, AZ, or about 1h 52m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 68.4 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 41 miles or 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 93.2 miles or 1h 52m 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 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Holbrook, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Phoenix, 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 Phoenix, AZ
This is one driving day of about 186.3 miles and 3h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 41 miles from Phoenix, 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 Beeline Highway for about 68.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 93.2 mi from Phoenix, AZ
· 1h 52m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Petrified Forest National Park
National Park
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...
22 mi from route
~54 min detour
$25
near mile 186.3
Located within the northern range of the Sonoran Desert lie two cliff dwellings that were occupied from 1300-1450 CE (common era). They represent a vibrant culture consisting of local and immigrant gr...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$37.11 one way
$74.23 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg65 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$39.28
$78.55
premium
$5.59
$41.01
$82.02
diesel
$5.61
$41.13
$82.27
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 65.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $20 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
55.9
0
$19.56
$8.94
Efficient EV
46.6
0
$16.30
$7.45
EV Truck/SUV
74.5
0
$26.08
$11.92
Gas CO2
65 kg
EV CO2
22 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Phoenix, AZ
Late night
in Phoenix on Saturday
Local time
12:16 AM
MST
Current temp
93°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Holbrook, AZ
Late night
in Holbrook on Saturday
Local time
12:16 AM
MST
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
44°F
Payson, AZ
93 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
17 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 54m 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 Phoenix, AZ to Holbrook, AZ covers 186.3 miles and takes about 3h 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Beeline Highway, AZ 260, Heber Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 93.2 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 $37.11 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 186.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.5 miles (North 7th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.7 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
On the drive from Phoenix, AZ to Holbrook, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Payson along the way.
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.
