Origin
Tucson, AZ
Morning in Tucson on Saturday
Local time
9:31 AM
MST
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tucson, AZ to Picture Rocks, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
48m
Distance
29.8 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tucson, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Picture Rocks, AZ
Mark Direen
Trip Overview
The drive from Tucson, AZ to Picture Rocks, AZ covers 29.8 miles and takes about 48m 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, West Avra Valley Road, East Speedway Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.1 miles on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.94 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Starting in Tucson, AZ
Full guide →Tucson (TOO-sawn), also known as the "Old Pueblo", is the second-largest city in the state of Arizona and the county seat of Pima County in the Sonoran Desert. It is at a higher elevation than nearby Phoenix and is correspondingly cooler. Although with half a million residents it is smaller than the capital city, its cultural life is just as vibrant.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 48m. Total distance: 29.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 48m drive with frequent turns across 29.8 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.
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 11.1 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 4.8 miles in near I 10 / North Freeway.
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 29.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 48m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.8 miles (I 10 / North Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles (I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
4.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 10 / North Freeway
Merge onto I 10 / North Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
11.1 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
18.4 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Avra Valley Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 242
Toward Avra Valley Road
4
18.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
West Avra Valley Road
Turn left onto West Avra Valley Road
Navigation decision point
4
25.4 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
West Twin Peaks Road
Enter roundabout onto West Twin Peaks Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Casa Grande-Tucson Highway | 11.1 mi | 12m |
| West Avra Valley Road | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| East Speedway Boulevard | 3.3 mi | 7m |
| North Freeway | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| North Sandario Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Avra Road | 1.4 mi | 5m |
| West Emigh Road | 1 mi | 3m |
| North Sanders Road | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
— 11.1 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tucson, AZ and Picture Rocks, AZ.
1
Start on North Country Club Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North Country Club Road
2
Turn left onto East Speedway Boulevard
3.3 mi
·
7 min
·
East Speedway Boulevard
3
Turn right onto North Freeway Road
415 ft
·
7 sec
·
North Freeway Road
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward I 10 West
5
Merge onto I 10
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 10
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
7.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 242
Toward Avra Valley Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto North Casa Grande Highway
222 ft
·
13 sec
·
North Casa Grande Highway
10
Turn left onto West Avra Valley Road
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
West Avra Valley Road
11
Turn left onto North Sandario Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Sandario Road
12
Enter roundabout onto West Twin Peaks Road
14 ft
·
0 sec
·
West Twin Peaks Road
13
Continue on West Twin Peaks Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Twin Peaks Road
14
Turn left onto North Sanders Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Sanders Road
15
Turn right onto West Emigh Road
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
West Emigh Road
16
Keep slight left at fork onto North Avra Road
1.4 mi
·
5 min
·
North Avra Road
17
Arrive at destination
North Avra Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.94 one way
$11.87 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.28 | $12.57 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.56 | $13.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.58 | $13.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Picture Rocks, AZ
Morning in Picture Rocks on Saturday
Local time
9:31 AM
MST
Current temp
88°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
34 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
48m 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 Tucson, AZ to Picture Rocks, AZ covers 29.8 miles and takes about 48m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, West Avra Valley Road, East Speedway Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.9 miles from Tucson, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.94 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 short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 29.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 48m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.8 miles (I 10 / North Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles (I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Tucson, AZ to Picture Rocks, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Saguaro National Park.
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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