Origin
Tortolita, AZ
Afternoon in Tortolita on Saturday
Local time
1:36 PM
MST
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tortolita, AZ to Drexel Heights, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
23.2 mi
37 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tortolita, AZ
Abhishek Navlakha
Drexel Heights, AZ
Quang Vuong
Trip Overview
The drive from Tortolita, AZ to Drexel Heights, AZ covers 23.2 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North La Cholla Boulevard, North Freeway, Casa Grande-Tucson Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8 miles on North La Cholla Boulevard. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.62 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North La Cholla Boulevard | 8 mi | 13m |
| North Freeway | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Casa Grande-Tucson Highway | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| South Mission Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Irvington Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Cardinal Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Ruthrauff Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| West Ajo Way | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
North La Cholla Boulevard
— 8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tortolita, AZ and Drexel Heights, AZ.
1
Start on this road
21 ft
·
3 sec
·
this road
2
Continue on West Naranja Drive
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
West Naranja Drive
3
Turn right onto North La Cholla Boulevard
8.0 mi
·
13 min
·
North La Cholla Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto West Ruthrauff Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ruthrauff Road
5
Turn sharp left onto North Business Center Drive
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
North Business Center Drive
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 10 East
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
7
Merge onto I 10
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 10
5.4 mi
·
6 min
·
North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 260
Toward I 19 South: Nogales
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 19
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Nogales–Tucson Highway
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Exit 99
Toward AZ 86 West: Ajo Way
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork
290 ft
·
7 sec
Toward Ajo, Desert Museum, Old Tucson
Use the right lane.
13
Turn straight onto AZ 86
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ajo Way
14
Continue on AZ 86
467 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Ajo Highway
15
Turn left onto South Mission Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South Mission Road
16
Turn right onto West Irvington Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
West Irvington Road
17
Turn left onto Cardinal Avenue
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Cardinal Avenue
18
Turn left onto West Bilby Road
71 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Bilby Road
19
Arrive at destination
West Bilby Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 18.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North La Cholla Boulevard
Turn right onto North La Cholla Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
9.3 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
North Business Center Drive
Turn sharp left onto North Business Center Drive
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
16.7 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward I 19 South: Nogales
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 260
Toward I 19 South: Nogales
7
17.9 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward AZ 86 West: Ajo Way
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 99
Toward AZ 86 West: Ajo Way
8
18.3 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Ajo, Desert Museum, Old Tucson
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward Ajo, Desert Museum, Old Tucson
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.62 one way
$9.24 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $4.89 | $9.78 |
| premium | $5.59 | $5.11 | $10.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.12 | $10.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.44 | $1.11 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.03 | $0.93 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.25 | $1.48 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Drexel Heights, AZ
Afternoon in Drexel Heights on Saturday
Local time
1:36 PM
MST
Current temp
54°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
2 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
36m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
23.2 mi in 36m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on North La Cholla Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 North La Cholla Boulevard.
Driving Effort
7/10
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 23.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (North La Cholla Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (North Business Center Drive): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Tortolita, AZ and Drexel Heights, AZ, road signs point toward Ajo, Desert Museum and Old Tucson.
Ajo
18.3 mi in
|
~27m
Desert Museum
18.3 mi in
|
~27m
Old Tucson
18.3 mi in
|
~27m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 23.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8 miles on North La Cholla Boulevard. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Drexel Heights, AZ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (North La Cholla Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (North Business Center Drive): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Saguaro National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Drexel Heights, AZ before heading back.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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