Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
31.9 mi
51 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Surprise, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Cave Creek, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Surprise, AZ to Cave Creek, AZ covers 31.9 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Cave Creek Road, Agua Fria Freeway, West Bell Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.3 miles on North Cave Creek Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.35 one way before food or hotel costs.
Sun City is a suburb 20 miles (30km) northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was built as a planned retirement community in Maricopa County in the 1960s. An adjacent retirement community Sun City West was built in the late 1970s; there is also a Sun City Grand. Directly northwest of the three "Sun City" suburbs is Surprise, Arizona.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 31.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
The drive from Surprise, AZ to Cave Creek, AZ covers 31.9 miles and takes about 49m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
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 0.5 miles in near North El Mirage Road.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 31.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (North El Mirage Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (West Bell Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
At end of road, turn left onto North El Mirage Road
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto West Bell Road
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward AZ 101 Loop North
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Cave Creek Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward Cave Creek Road, National Memorial Cemetery
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Surprise, AZ to Cave Creek, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward National Memorial Cemetery along the way.
National Memorial Cemetery
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Cave Creek Road | 12.3 mi | 21m |
| Agua Fria Freeway | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| West Bell Road | 5 mi | 8m |
| Pima Freeway | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| North El Mirage Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Paradise Lane | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Cave Creek Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Nash Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Surprise, AZ and Cave Creek, AZ.
Start on North Nash Street
Turn right onto West Paradise Lane
At end of road, turn left onto North El Mirage Road
Turn right onto West Bell Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
Continue on AZ 101 Loop
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn slight left onto North Cave Creek Road
Continue on East Cave Creek Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 16 mi from Surprise, AZ · 23m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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.
A short stop after about 31.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 16 miles from Surprise, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Cave Creek, AZ if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$6.35 one way
$12.71 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.73 | $13.45 |
| premium | $5.59 | $7.02 | $14.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.04 | $14.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Surprise on Saturday
Local time
8:20 AM
MST
Current temp
91°F
Sunny
Destination
Morning in Cave Creek on Saturday
Local time
8:20 AM
MST
Current temp
87°F
Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
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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