Origin
Tempe, AZ
Morning in Tempe on Friday
Local time
9:13 AM
MST
Current temp
93°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tempe, AZ to San Carlos, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
14m
Distance
8.7 mi
14 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tempe, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
San Carlos, AZ
Andrea Hinojosa
Trip Overview
The drive from Tempe, AZ to San Carlos, AZ covers 8.7 miles and takes about 14m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Price Freeway, East Elliot Road, East Apache Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.1 miles on Price Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.73 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 8.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (36%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Tempe, AZ to San Carlos, AZ covers 8.7 miles and takes about 14m, 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 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Price Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 3.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near South Price Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 8.7 miles you will encounter 9 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 1.4 miles (South Price Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Price Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
South Price Road
Turn right onto South Price Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
AZ 101 Loop / Price Freeway
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop / Price Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
5.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward Elliot Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 57
Toward Elliot Road
4
5.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
East Elliot Road
Turn left onto East Elliot Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
8.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Price Freeway | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| East Elliot Road | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| East Apache Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Price Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Hartford Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Price Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Price Freeway
— 3.1 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tempe, AZ and San Carlos, AZ.
1
Start on US 80 Hist
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
East Apache Boulevard
2
Continue on US 80 Hist
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East Apache Boulevard
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto South Price Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Price Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop South
5
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Price Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 57
Toward Elliot Road
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto North Price Road
394 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Price Road
8
Turn left onto East Elliot Road
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
East Elliot Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto North Hartford Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
North Hartford Street
10
Turn right
141 ft
·
13 sec
11
Turn right
102 ft
·
7 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.73 one way
$3.47 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $1.83 | $3.67 |
| premium | $5.59 | $1.92 | $3.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.92 | $3.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.91 | $0.42 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
San Carlos, AZ
Morning in San Carlos on Friday
Local time
9:13 AM
MST
Current temp
90°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
3 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
14m 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 Tempe, AZ to San Carlos, AZ covers 8.7 miles and takes about 14m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Price Freeway, East Elliot Road, East Apache Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 4.4 miles from Tempe, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.73 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 8.7 miles you will encounter 9 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 1.4 miles (South Price Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Price Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Tempe, AZ to San Carlos, 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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