Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
57m
Distance
39.3 mi
63 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tempe, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Blackwater, AZ
Yanming Guo
The drive from Tempe, AZ to Blackwater, AZ covers 39.3 miles and takes about 57m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Junction I-10-Mesa Highway, Price Freeway, South Arizona Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.9 miles on Junction I-10-Mesa Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.83 one way before food or hotel costs.
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 57m. Total distance: 39.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
57m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
This is a 57m highway drive covering 39.3 miles, with most of the trip on Junction I-10-Mesa Highway and Price Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 16.9 miles on Junction I-10-Mesa Highway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Junction I-10-Mesa Highway and Price Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near South Price Road.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 39.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
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 9.5 miles (Price Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn right onto South Price Road
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop / Price Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto Price Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop / Santan Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward AZ 87: Arizona Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Junction I-10-Mesa Highway | 16.9 mi | 24m |
| Price Freeway | 8.4 mi | 9m |
| South Arizona Avenue | 5.7 mi | 9m |
| Blackwater School Road | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| Santan Freeway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| East Apache Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Price Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Hunt Highway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Tempe, AZ and Blackwater, AZ.
Start on US 80 Hist
Continue on US 80 Hist
Turn right onto South Price Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
Keep slight left at fork onto Price Freeway
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop
Take the exit
Turn right onto AZ 87
Turn left onto AZ 87; BIA 56
Turn right onto AZ 87
Turn left onto Blackwater School Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 19.7 mi from Tempe, AZ · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 19.7 miles from Tempe, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Blackwater, 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
$7.83 one way
$15.66 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $8.29 | $16.57 |
| premium | $5.59 | $8.65 | $17.30 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.68 | $17.35 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
| Efficient EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.44 | $1.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.50 | $2.52 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Late night in Tempe on Friday
Local time
5:06 AM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Blackwater on Friday
Local time
5:06 AM
MST
Current temp
92°F
Unavailable
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 and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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