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Trip from Tempe Junction, AZ to Oro Valley, AZ

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

Drive Time

1h 59m

Distance

104.4 mi

168 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$20

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 26 min
4 AM
1h 51m ★
6 AM
2h 0m
8 AM
2h 17m
10 AM
2h 6m
12 PM
2h 4m
3 PM
2h 7m
5 PM
2h 16m
8 PM
1h 55m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Tempe Junction, AZ, AZ

Tempe Junction, AZ

Abhishek Navlakha

town in Pima County, Arizona, United States

Oro Valley, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Tempe Junction, AZ to Oro Valley, AZ covers 104.4 miles and takes about 1h 59m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway, Maricopa Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 44.7 miles on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $20.35 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

52.2 miles from Tempe Junction, AZ

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 57m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 59m. Total distance: 104.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 59m drive with frequent turns across 104.4 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 44.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near South Roosevelt Street.

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 104.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.3 miles (South Roosevelt Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | South Roosevelt Street

Turn left onto South Roosevelt Street

Navigation decision point

8
2.3 mi into trip | ~5m in

Turn left toward I 10 East: Tucson

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 10 East: Tucson
5
4 mi into trip | ~7m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 East: East Tucson

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 10 East: East Tucson
5
4.2 mi into trip | ~7m in | I 10 / Maricopa Freeway

Merge onto I 10 / Maricopa Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
93.3 mi into trip | ~1h 38m in

Take the exit toward Twin Peaks Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 244 Toward Twin Peaks Road

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway 44.7 mi 44m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway 37.8 mi 38m
Maricopa Freeway 6.7 mi 7m
West Lambert Lane 4.1 mi 7m
West Linda Vista Boulevard 3.3 mi 6m
West Broadway Road 1.6 mi 3m
Hohokam Expressway 1.4 mi 1m
West Pecos Way 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Casa Grande-Tucson Highway — 44.7 mi, about 44m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Tempe Junction, AZ and Oro Valley, AZ.

1

Start on West 13th Street

0.3 mi · 55 sec · West 13th Street
2

Turn left onto South Roosevelt Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Roosevelt Street
3

Turn right onto West Broadway Road

1.3 mi · 2 min · West Broadway Road
4

Continue on West Broadway Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · West Broadway Road
5

Turn left

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Toward I 10 East: Tucson Use the left lane.
6

Merge onto AZ 143

1.4 mi · 1 min · Hohokam Expressway
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward I 10 East: East Tucson
8

Merge onto I 10

6.7 mi · 7 min · Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on I 10

38 mi · 38 min · Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Continue on I 10

45 mi · 44 min · Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 52 sec
Exit 244 Toward Twin Peaks Road Use the slight right lane.
12

Continue on North Casa Grande Highway

0.1 mi · 16 sec · North Casa Grande Highway
13

Turn left onto West Twin Peaks Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · West Twin Peaks Road
14

Turn right onto West Linda Vista Boulevard

3.3 mi · 6 min · West Linda Vista Boulevard
15

Turn left onto North Thornydale Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · North Thornydale Road
16

Turn slight right onto West Pecos Way

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Pecos Way
17

Continue on West Lambert Lane

4.1 mi · 7 min · West Lambert Lane
Use the left lane.
18

Continue on East Pusch View Lane

0.6 mi · 1 min · East Pusch View Lane
19

Turn right onto AZ 77; US 80 Hist

0.4 mi · 38 sec · North Oracle Road
20

Turn right onto West Greenock Drive

0.1 mi · 26 sec · West Greenock Drive
21

Turn left

171 ft · 13 sec
22

Continue on North Valle del Oro Drive

482 ft · 22 sec · North Valle del Oro Drive
23

Turn right onto West Oro Place

249 ft · 11 sec · West Oro Place
24

Arrive at destination

West Oro Place

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 52.2 miles from Tempe Junction, AZ, or about 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 44.7 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 23 miles or 27m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 52.2 miles or 57m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 30m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Oro Valley, AZ than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Tempe Junction, AZ so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Tempe Junction, AZ

This is one driving day of about 104.4 miles and 1h 59m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Tempe Junction, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway for about 44.7 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 52.2 mi from Tempe Junction, AZ · 57m into the drive

Downtown Eloy, AZ, AZ

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Eloy, AZ

52 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

Sun Lakes, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 23 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Arizona City, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 52.2 miles from Tempe Junction, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Oro Valley, AZ

The final approach into Oro Valley, 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.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

National Monument

An Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether a gathering place for people or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of...

11 mi from route ~26 min detour Free near mile 39.6
View on nps.gov
Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park

National Park

Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are pr...

18 mi from route ~44 min detour $25 near mile 104.4
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$20.35 one way

$40.70 round trip

$4.95/gal 25.4 MPG avg 37 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.34 $21.94 $43.88
premium $5.57 $22.88 $45.76
diesel $6.37 $26.17 $52.33

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$20

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$45–$70

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 36.5 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 31.3 0 $10.96 $5.01
Efficient EV 26.1 0 $9.14 $4.18
EV Truck/SUV 41.8 0 $14.62 $6.68

Gas CO2

37 kg

EV CO2

12 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 15, 2026

Origin

Tempe Junction, AZ

Late night in Tempe Junction on Saturday

Local time

5:01 AM

MST

Current temp

90°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Oro Valley, AZ

Late night in Oro Valley on Saturday

Local time

5:01 AM

MST

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

33 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 59m 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 Junction, AZ to Oro Valley, AZ covers 104.4 miles and takes about 1h 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway, Maricopa Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 52.2 miles from Tempe Junction, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $20.35 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 104.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.3 miles (South Roosevelt Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

The route from Tempe Junction, AZ to Oro Valley, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Oro Valley, AZ to Tempe Junction, AZ

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