Origin
Sun Lakes, AZ
Morning in Sun Lakes on Friday
Local time
10:34 AM
MST
Current temp
90°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sun Lakes, AZ to Buckeye, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 16m
Distance
60.9 mi
98 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sun Lakes, AZ
Kris Møklebust
Buckeye, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Embarking on this 60.9-mile journey from Sun Lakes to Buckeye, Arizona, will take you approximately 1 hour and 16 minutes. Primarily utilizing the Papago Freeway, Maricopa Freeway, and Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, this route offers a straightforward drive within the Desert Southwest. With a projected fuel cost of around $12, it's an economical option for a single-day trip. The drive is a mixed bag, suggesting you'll experience both faster highway segments and potentially some varied road conditions. This trip is perfectly suited for a day excursion, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stay.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 16m. Total distance: 60.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (59%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This drive features a 59% highway share, indicating a significant portion will be on faster-paced roads. You'll encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch of 24.3 miles on the Papago Freeway, providing a good opportunity to settle into a rhythm. The 'mixed drive' profile suggests the character of the route will evolve, transitioning between open highway cruising and potentially more varied local road conditions as you approach Buckeye. Expect a blend of efficiency and the need for some awareness of changing traffic patterns.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Papago Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 24.3 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 0.6 miles in near East Riggs Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 60.9 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.6 miles (East Riggs Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): 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.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
East Riggs Road
Turn left onto East Riggs Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.1 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 West: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 10 West: Phoenix
6
20.9 mi into trip
|
~26m 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.
6
22.9 mi into trip
|
~29m 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 straight / slight right lanes.
7
55.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
Take the exit toward Buckeye
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 114
Toward Buckeye
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Papago Freeway | 24.3 mi | 28m |
| Maricopa Freeway | 12 mi | 13m |
| Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway | 9.9 mi | 10m |
| Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway | 5.5 mi | 6m |
| South Miller Road | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| East Riggs Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| North 1st Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Papago Freeway
— 24.3 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sun Lakes, AZ and Buckeye, AZ.
1
Start on East Bud Court
144 ft
·
10 sec
·
East Bud Court
2
Turn left onto South Glenburn Drive
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
South Glenburn Drive
3
Turn left onto East Foster Avenue
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
East Foster Avenue
4
Turn left onto East Palomino Place
182 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Palomino Place
5
Turn right onto South Dobson Road
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
South Dobson Road
6
Turn left onto East Riggs Road
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
East Riggs Road
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 10 West: Phoenix
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto I 10
5.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the slight left lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
13
Continue on I 10
20 mi
·
22 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 10
9.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
15
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 114
Toward Buckeye
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on South Miller Road
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
South Miller Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
17
Continue on North 1st Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North 1st Street
18
Turn left onto US 80 Hist
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
East Monroe Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Arrive at destination
US 80 Hist
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 30.5 mi from Sun Lakes, AZ · 37m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 30.5 miles from Sun Lakes, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Buckeye, AZ
The final approach into Buckeye, 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
$12.13 one way
$24.26 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $12.84 | $25.68 |
| premium | $5.59 | $13.41 | $26.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.45 | $26.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.3 | 0 | $6.39 | $2.92 |
| Efficient EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.33 | $2.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.4 | 0 | $8.53 | $3.90 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Buckeye, AZ
Morning in Buckeye on Friday
Local time
10:34 AM
MST
Current temp
89°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
1 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
1h 16m 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 Sun Lakes, AZ to Buckeye, AZ covers 60.9 miles and takes about 1h 16m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Papago Freeway, Maricopa Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 30.5 miles from Sun Lakes, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.13 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 60.9 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.6 miles (East Riggs Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Sun Lakes, AZ to Buckeye, 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 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.
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