Origin
Scottsdale, AZ
Morning in Scottsdale on Friday
Local time
8:43 AM
MST
Current temp
92°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Scottsdale, AZ to Carefree, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
24.3 mi
39 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Scottsdale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Carefree, AZ
Serg Alesenko
Trip Overview
The drive from Scottsdale, AZ to Carefree, AZ covers 24.3 miles and takes about 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Pima Freeway, North Scottsdale Road, North Tom Darlington Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.3 miles on Pima Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.84 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 24.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
The drive from Scottsdale, AZ to Carefree, AZ covers 24.3 miles and takes about 35m, 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 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Pima Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 11.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Chaparral Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 35m 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: near the start (East Chaparral Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Chaparral Road
Turn right onto East Chaparral Road
Navigation decision point
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Turn left toward AZ 101 Loop North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward AZ 101 Loop North
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
12.2 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward Scottsdale Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 34
Toward Scottsdale Road
5
12.7 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
North Scottsdale Road
Turn right onto North Scottsdale Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pima Freeway | 11.3 mi | 13m |
| North Scottsdale Road | 9.7 mi | 15m |
| North Tom Darlington Drive | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Chaparral Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Bloody Basin Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North Tranquil Trail | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Pima Freeway
— 11.3 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scottsdale, AZ and Carefree, AZ.
1
Start on this road
64 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto East Chaparral Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Chaparral Road
3
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop North
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Pima Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 34
Toward Scottsdale Road
Use the slight right lane.
6
Turn straight onto Pima Freeway
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Pima Freeway
7
Turn right onto North Scottsdale Road
9.7 mi
·
15 min
·
North Scottsdale Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on North Tom Darlington Drive
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
North Tom Darlington Drive
Use the left lane.
9
Turn slight right onto North Bloody Basin Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Bloody Basin Road
10
Arrive at destination
North Tranquil Trail
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.84 one way
$9.68 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $5.12 | $10.25 |
| premium | $5.59 | $5.35 | $10.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.37 | $10.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.17 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.40 | $1.56 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Carefree, AZ
Morning in Carefree on Friday
Local time
8:43 AM
MST
Current temp
84°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
8 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
35m 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 Scottsdale, AZ to Carefree, AZ covers 24.3 miles and takes about 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Pima Freeway, North Scottsdale Road, North Tom Darlington Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.1 miles from Scottsdale, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.84 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 35m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Chaparral Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Scottsdale, AZ to Carefree, 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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