Origin
San Carlos, AZ
Morning in San Carlos on Friday
Local time
11:54 AM
MST
Current temp
90°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Carlos, AZ to Glendale, 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
28.6 mi
46 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 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Carlos, AZ
Andrea Hinojosa
Glendale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, roughly 41-minute drive covers 28.6 miles, making it a perfect single-day trip. You'll navigate through the Desert Southwest region of Arizona, traveling from San Carlos to Glendale. The main roads you'll be on include Grand Avenue, the Papago Freeway, and the Maricopa Freeway. With an estimated fuel cost of just $6, this route is very budget-friendly. It's a straightforward journey that doesn't require an overnight stay, offering a convenient way to get from point A to point B without much fuss.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 28.6 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 (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with 57% of your journey on highways. You'll experience stretches of faster-paced freeway driving interspersed with more local road conditions. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 7.1 miles on Grand Avenue, offering a good chance to settle into a rhythm. As you progress, the character of the road will shift, transitioning between the efficiency of the freeway system and the more urban feel of Grand Avenue as you approach Glendale.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Grand Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 7.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near West Elliot Road.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 28.6 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 0.3 miles (West Elliot Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
West Elliot Road
At end of road, turn left onto West Elliot Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
4.9 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward US 60 West, US 60 East: Phoenix, Globe
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 55A; 55B
Toward US 60 West, US 60 East: Phoenix, Globe
8
5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 60 West: Phoenix
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 55A
Toward US 60 West: Phoenix
6
14.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
I 10 / Papago Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 / Papago Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
8
20.9 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward 19th Avenue, Grand Avenue
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 143C
Toward 19th Avenue, Grand Avenue
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 San Carlos, AZ to Glendale, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Globe along the way.
Globe
4.9 mi in
|
~8m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Avenue | 7.1 mi | 12m |
| Papago Freeway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Maricopa Freeway | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| Superstition Freeway | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| West Elliot Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Price Freeway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| US 60 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Grand Avenue
— 7.1 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Carlos, AZ and Glendale, AZ.
1
Start on this road
294 ft
·
22 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto West Loughlin Drive
146 ft
·
7 sec
·
West Loughlin Drive
3
Turn left onto North Hartford Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Hartford Street
4
At end of road, turn left onto West Elliot Road
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
West Elliot Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto South Price Road
273 ft
·
5 sec
·
South Price Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop North
7
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Price Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 55A; 55B
Toward US 60 West, US 60 East: Phoenix, Globe
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 55A
Toward US 60 West: Phoenix
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 60
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Superstition Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto US 60
0.6 mi
·
38 sec
·
US 60
Toward I 10 North
12
Merge onto I 10; US 60
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the slight left lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
16
Continue on I 10
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 143C
Toward 19th Avenue, Grand Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn right onto North 19th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
North 19th Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
19
Turn slight left onto Grand Avenue
7.1 mi
·
12 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left / slight left lanes.
20
Arrive at destination
US 60
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.70 one way
$11.39 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.03 | $12.06 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.30 | $12.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.31 | $12.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 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 | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.50 | $1.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.4 | 0 | $4.00 | $1.83 |
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
Glendale, AZ
Morning in Glendale on Friday
Local time
11:54 AM
MST
Current temp
92°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
2 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 San Carlos, AZ to Glendale, AZ covers 28.6 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Grand Avenue, Papago Freeway, Maricopa Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.3 miles from San Carlos, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.70 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 16 decision points packed into just 28.6 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 0.3 miles (West Elliot Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from San Carlos, AZ to Glendale, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Globe 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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