Origin
Queen Creek, AZ
Late night in Queen Creek on Friday
Local time
1:17 AM
MST
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Queen Creek, AZ to Tempe Junction, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
29.4 mi
47 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Queen Creek, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Tempe Junction, AZ
Abhishek Navlakha
Trip Overview
The drive from Queen Creek, AZ to Tempe Junction, AZ covers 29.4 miles and takes about 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Superstition Freeway, South Ellsworth Road, Santan Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15.7 miles on Superstition Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 29.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 41m highway drive covering 29.4 miles, with most of the trip on Superstition Freeway and South Ellsworth Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 15.7 miles on Superstition Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Superstition Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 15.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Superstition Freeway and South Ellsworth Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East Ocotillo Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 29.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East Ocotillo Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.3 miles (South Ellsworth Loop Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Ocotillo Road
Turn uturn onto East Ocotillo Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South Ellsworth Loop Road
Turn right onto South Ellsworth Loop Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
5.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Keep slight right at fork toward AZ 202 Loop North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward AZ 202 Loop North
7
9.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward US 60 West: Phoenix
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 30B
Toward US 60 West: Phoenix
7
26.9 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward Mill Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 173
Toward Mill Avenue
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Superstition Freeway | 15.7 mi | 18m |
| South Ellsworth Road | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| Santan Freeway | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| South Mill Avenue | 2 mi | 4m |
| South Ellsworth Loop Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| East Ocotillo Road | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West 13th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Gateway Freeway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Superstition Freeway
— 15.7 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Queen Creek, AZ and Tempe Junction, AZ.
1
Start on East Ocotillo Road
380 ft
·
35 sec
·
East Ocotillo Road
2
Turn uturn onto East Ocotillo Road
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
East Ocotillo Road
3
Turn right onto South Ellsworth Loop Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Ellsworth Loop Road
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on South Ellsworth Road
3.8 mi
·
6 min
·
South Ellsworth Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn left
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward AZ 24 West
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto AZ 24
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
·
Gateway Freeway
7
Keep slight right at fork
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Toward AZ 202 Loop North
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Santan Freeway
9
Take the exit
1.5 mi
·
3 min
Exit 30B
Toward US 60 West: Phoenix
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 60
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Superstition Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 173
Toward Mill Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto South Mill Avenue
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
South Mill Avenue
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13
Turn left onto West 13th Street
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
West 13th Street
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
West 13th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.86 one way
$11.71 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.20 | $12.40 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.47 | $12.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.49 | $12.98 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.09 | $1.41 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.57 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.12 | $1.88 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Tempe Junction, AZ
Late night in Tempe Junction on Friday
Local time
1:17 AM
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
31 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
41m 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 Queen Creek, AZ to Tempe Junction, AZ covers 29.4 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Superstition Freeway, South Ellsworth Road, Santan Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.7 miles from Queen Creek, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.86 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 short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 29.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East Ocotillo Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.3 miles (South Ellsworth Loop Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Queen Creek, AZ to Tempe Junction, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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