The drive from Tempe, AZ to Canyon Day, AZ covers 164.6 miles and takes about 3h 39m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Globe-Show Low Highway, Phoenix–Globe Highway, Superstition Freeway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 62.5 miles on Globe-Show Low Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $32.79 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.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
82.3 miles from Tempe, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 51m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 39m. Total distance: 164.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 3h 39m drive with frequent turns across 164.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Globe-Show Low Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 62.5 miles.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
5,896 ft1,181 ft
Total Climb
7,245 ft
Total Descent
3,424 ft
Highest Point
5,896 ft
~105.8 mi in
Elevation Range
4,716 ft
Notable High Points
4,038 ft at ~58.8 miles+614 ft prominence
5,896 ft at ~105.8 miles+1,774 ft prominence
5,567 ft at ~129.3 miles+437 ft prominence
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near South McClintock Drive.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 39m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (South McClintock Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (US 60 / Superstition Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|South McClintock Drive
Turn right onto South McClintock Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.4 mi into trip|~5m in
Turn left toward US 60 East: Globe
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward US 60 East: Globe
5
2.8 mi into trip|~6m in|US 60 / Superstition Freeway
Merge onto US 60 / Superstition Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
76.7 mi into trip|~1h 42m in|North Broad Street
Turn left onto North Broad Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
78.7 mi into trip|~1h 46m in|US 60; AZ 77 / Globe-Show Low Highway
Turn left onto US 60; AZ 77 / Globe-Show Low Highway
The midpoint is around 82.3 miles from Tempe, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before Globe-Show Low Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 62.5 miles.
Arriving in Canyon Day, AZ
The final approach into Canyon Day, AZ usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Canyon Day, AZ.
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
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...
22 mi from route
~54 min detour
Free
near mile 39.7
Located within the northern range of the Sonoran Desert lie two cliff dwellings that were occupied from 1300-1450 CE (common era). They represent a vibrant culture consisting of local and immigrant gr...
22 mi from route
~54 min detour
$10
near mile 62.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.79 one way
$65.58 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg58 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$34.70
$69.40
premium
$5.59
$36.23
$72.46
diesel
$5.61
$36.34
$72.68
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$33
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$58–$83
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 57.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $17 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
49.4
0
$17.28
$7.90
Efficient EV
41.2
0
$14.40
$6.58
EV Truck/SUV
65.8
0
$23.04
$10.53
Gas CO2
58 kg
EV CO2
19 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Tempe, AZ
Late night
in Tempe on Friday
Local time
5:24 AM
MST
Current temp
93°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Canyon Day, AZ
Late night
in Canyon Day on Friday
Local time
5:24 AM
MST
Current temp
41°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
52 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
3h 39m 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 Canyon Day, AZ covers 164.6 miles and takes about 3h 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Globe-Show Low Highway, Phoenix–Globe Highway, Superstition Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 82.3 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 $32.79 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a straightforward 3h 39m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (South McClintock Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (US 60 / Superstition Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Tempe, AZ to Canyon Day, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
High-altitude sections with notable climbs. The route ranges from 1,181 ft to 5,896 ft elevation with about 7,245 ft of total climbing. There are 3 notable high points along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Tonto National Monument.
How this page is built
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.
Elevation is sampled from
USGS 3DEP.
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.
