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Trip from Star Valley, AZ to Mesa, AZ

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

Drive Time

1h 25m

Distance

80.8 mi

130 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$16

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 19m ★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 29m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 38m
8 PM
1h 21m

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

Downtown Star Valley, AZ, AZ

Star Valley, AZ

Krishna Mantripragada

city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

Mesa, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Star Valley, AZ to Mesa, AZ covers 80.8 miles and takes about 1h 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on South Beeline Highway, North Country Club Drive, West McKellips Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.10 one way before food or hotel costs.

About the Cities

Arriving in Mesa, AZ

Full guide →

Mesa, population 518,000 (2019), is in Maricopa County. It is Arizona's third-largest city, and is part of the Greater Phoenix urban complex.

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 1h 25m. Total distance: 80.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 25m drive with frequent turns across 80.8 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 7 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Beeline Highway is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Star Valley, AZ to Mesa, AZ is easy. At 1h 25m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Star Valley, AZ to Mesa, AZ is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Beeline Highway
North Country Club Drive
West McKellips Road
North Mesa Drive
East University Drive

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: South Beeline Highway — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Star Valley, AZ and Mesa, AZ.

1

Start on Payson-Show Low Highway

3.8 mi · 6 min · Payson-Show Low Highway
2

Turn left onto South Beeline Highway

73 mi · 1 hr 26 min · South Beeline Highway
3

Continue on North Country Club Drive

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Country Club Drive
4

Turn left onto West McKellips Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · West McKellips Road
5

Turn right onto North Mesa Drive

2.0 mi · 3 min · North Mesa Drive
6

Turn left onto East University Drive

72 ft · 2 sec · East University Drive
7

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 40.4 mi from Star Valley, AZ · 42m into the drive

Downtown Tonto Basin, AZ, AZ

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Tonto Basin, AZ

40 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Payson, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Tonto Basin, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 40.4 miles from Star Valley, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Mesa, AZ

The final approach into Mesa, AZ usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$16.10 one way

$32.19 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 28 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.36 $17.03 $34.07
premium $5.59 $17.79 $35.57
diesel $5.61 $17.84 $35.68

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$16

Estimated CO2 emission: 28.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 24.2 0 $8.48 $3.88
Efficient EV 20.2 0 $7.07 $3.23
EV Truck/SUV 32.3 0 $11.31 $5.17

Gas CO2

28 kg

EV CO2

9 kg (68% 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 16, 2026

Origin

Star Valley, AZ

Morning in Star Valley on Saturday

Local time

7:44 AM

MST

Current temp

41°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Mesa, AZ

Morning in Mesa on Saturday

Local time

7:44 AM

MST

Current temp

93°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

52 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

1h 25m 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 Star Valley, AZ to Mesa, AZ covers 80.8 miles and takes about 1h 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are South Beeline Highway, North Country Club Drive, West McKellips Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 40.4 miles from Star Valley, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.10 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.

The drive from Star Valley, AZ to Mesa, AZ is easy. At 1h 25m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Star Valley, AZ to Mesa, AZ is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Star Valley, AZ to Mesa, 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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Explore more options from Star Valley, AZ or browse trips ending in Mesa, AZ.

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