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Trip from Tempe, AZ to Oro Valley, AZ

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

2h 2m

Distance

106.2 mi

171 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$21

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 26 min
4 AM
1h 54m ★
6 AM
2h 3m
8 AM
2h 20m
10 AM
2h 9m
12 PM
2h 7m
3 PM
2h 10m
5 PM
2h 19m
8 PM
1h 57m

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

city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

Tempe, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

town in Pima County, Arizona, United States

Oro Valley, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Tempe, AZ to Oro Valley, AZ covers 106.2 miles and takes about 2h 2m 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 $21.16 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

53.1 miles from Tempe, AZ

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 59m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 2m. Total distance: 106.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 2m drive with frequent turns across 106.2 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 0.4 miles in near South McClintock Drive.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 106.2 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (South McClintock Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (US 60 / Superstition Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 14 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
2.3 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the ramp toward US 60 West: Phoenix

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward US 60 West: Phoenix
5
2.7 mi into trip | ~5m 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.
6
5.2 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward I 10 East: Tucson

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

Use the slight left / straight lanes. Toward I 10 East: Tucson
7
95.1 mi into trip | ~1h 41m 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 6.1 mi 7m
West Lambert Lane 4.1 mi 7m
West Linda Vista Boulevard 3.3 mi 6m
Superstition Freeway 2.5 mi 2m
South McClintock Drive 2 mi 3m
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, AZ and Oro Valley, AZ.

1

Start on US 80 Hist

0.2 mi · 27 sec · East Apache Boulevard
2

Continue on US 80 Hist

0.2 mi · 37 sec · East Apache Boulevard
Use the left lane.
3

Turn right onto South McClintock Drive

2.0 mi · 3 min · South McClintock Drive
Use the left lane.
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 46 sec
Toward US 60 West: Phoenix Use the right lane.
5

Merge onto US 60

2.5 mi · 2 min · Superstition Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.9 mi · 2 min
Toward I 10 East: Tucson Use the slight left / straight lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
8

Merge onto I 10

6.1 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 53.1 miles from Tempe, AZ, or about 59m 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 28m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 53.1 miles or 59m 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 33m

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, AZ so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Tempe, AZ

This is one driving day of about 106.2 miles and 2h 2m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Tempe, 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 53.1 mi from Tempe, AZ · 59m into the drive

Downtown Eloy, AZ, AZ

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Eloy, AZ

53 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

Chandler, 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 53.1 miles from Tempe, 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.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Oro Valley, AZ.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$21.16 one way

$42.31 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 37 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.36 $22.39 $44.78
premium $5.59 $23.38 $46.75
diesel $5.61 $23.45 $46.90

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$21

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$46–$71

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 37.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 31.9 0 $11.15 $5.10
Efficient EV 26.6 0 $9.29 $4.25
EV Truck/SUV 42.5 0 $14.87 $6.80

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, AZ

Afternoon in Tempe on Thursday

Local time

3:52 PM

MST

Current temp

93°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Oro Valley, AZ

Afternoon in Oro Valley on Thursday

Local time

3:52 PM

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

36 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

2h 2m 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 Oro Valley, AZ covers 106.2 miles and takes about 2h 2m 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 53.1 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 $21.16 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 is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 106.2 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (South McClintock Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (US 60 / Superstition Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Tempe, AZ to Oro Valley, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Return Trip

Oro Valley, AZ to Tempe, AZ

Plan the drive back the other way.

107.3 mi 2h 2m

Explore more options from Tempe, AZ or browse trips ending in Oro Valley, AZ.

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