Trip from Tucson, AZ to Saint Michaels, AZ

Drive Time

6h 57m

Distance

331.1 mi

533 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$66

one way

EV Charging

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 34 min

4 AM

6h 46m ★

6 AM

6h 57m

8 AM

7h 20m

10 AM

7h 5m

12 PM

7h 3m

3 PM

7h 6m

5 PM

7h 19m

8 PM

6h 50m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Tucson, AZ

Abhishek Navlakha

Trip Overview

The drive from Tucson, AZ to Saint Michaels, AZ covers 331.1 miles and takes about 6h 57m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on East Fort Lowell Road, North Campbell Avenue, East River Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $65.89 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

165.5 miles from Tucson, AZ

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 28m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 6h 57m drive with frequent turns across 331.1 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.

There are about 32 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

East Fort Lowell Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.

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.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 57m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Tucson, AZ to Saint Michaels, AZ is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
East Fort Lowell Road	Unavailable	Refreshing
North Campbell Avenue	Unavailable	Refreshing
East River Road	Unavailable	Refreshing
North 1st Avenue	Unavailable	Refreshing
East Orange Grove Road	Unavailable	Refreshing
West Orange Grove Road	Unavailable	Refreshing
North Oracle Road	Unavailable	Refreshing
Tucson-Globe Highway	Unavailable	Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: East Fort Lowell Road — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Tucson, AZ and Saint Michaels, AZ.

Start on North Country Club Road

3.0 mi · 6 min · North Country Club Road

Turn left onto East Fort Lowell Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · East Fort Lowell Road

Turn right onto North Campbell Avenue

1.5 mi · 3 min · North Campbell Avenue

Turn left onto East River Road

1.2 mi · 2 min · East River Road

Turn right onto North 1st Avenue

1.9 mi · 3 min · North 1st Avenue

Turn left onto East Orange Grove Road

0.5 mi · 52 sec · East Orange Grove Road

Continue on West Orange Grove Road

0.3 mi · 42 sec · West Orange Grove Road

Turn right onto North Oracle Road

14 mi · 21 min · North Oracle Road

Continue on Tucson-Globe Highway

16 mi · 21 min · Tucson-Globe Highway

Continue on American Avenue

2.0 mi · 2 min · American Avenue

Continue on Tucson-Globe Highway

61 mi · 1 hr 22 min · Tucson-Globe Highway

At the end of the road, turn left onto Globe-Lordsburg Highway

0.9 mi · 1 min · Globe-Lordsburg Highway

Continue on East Ash Street

1.1 mi · 1 min · East Ash Street

Take the exit right

240 ft · 7 sec

Merge slight left onto Globe-Show Low Highway

83 mi · 1 hr 35 min · Globe-Show Low Highway

Continue on West Deuce of Clubs

3.0 mi · 6 min · West Deuce of Clubs

Turn left onto North Penrod Road

3.5 mi · 4 min · North Penrod Road

Continue on Show Low-Holbrook Highway

11 mi · 13 min · Show Low-Holbrook Highway

Continue on South Main Street

0.4 mi · 53 sec · South Main Street

Continue on Show Low-Holbrook Highway

1.0 mi · 2 min · Show Low-Holbrook Highway

Continue on South Main Street

2.4 mi · 5 min · South Main Street

Continue on Show Low-Holbrook Highway

0.2 mi · 12 sec · Show Low-Holbrook Highway

Continue on Arizona State Highway 77

2.0 mi · 2 min · Arizona State Highway 77

Continue on Show Low-Holbrook Highway

24 mi · 28 min · Show Low-Holbrook Highway

Continue on Holbrook-Springerville Highway

0.5 mi · 57 sec · Holbrook-Springerville Highway

Continue on Navajo Boulevard

0.9 mi · 1 min · Navajo Boulevard

Take the exit right

0.6 mi · 1 min

Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail

70 mi · 1 hr 9 min · Purple Heart Trail

Take the exit slight right toward BIA 12 North: Window Rock

0.2 mi · 34 sec · BIA 12 North: Window Rock

Turn left onto Navajo Route 12

23 mi · 32 min · Navajo Route 12

Turn left

0.1 mi · 28 sec

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 165.5 miles from Tucson, AZ, or about 3h 28m into the drive.

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 80 miles or 1h 40m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 165.5 miles or 3h 28m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 5h 42m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Saint Michaels, AZ than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Tucson, 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 Tucson, AZ

This is one driving day of about 331.1 miles and 6h 57m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Tucson, AZ.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 165.5 mi from Tucson, AZ · 3h 28m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Queen Creek, AZ

166 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

Queen Creek, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Queen Creek, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 165.5 miles from Tucson, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Saint Michaels, AZ

The final approach into Saint Michaels, 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 Saint Michaels, 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

$65.89 one way

$131.79 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 116 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$5.34	$69.58	$139.17
premium	$5.59	$72.83	$145.66
diesel	$5.64	$73.56	$147.12

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$66

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$91–$116

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 115.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $35 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	99.3	1	$34.77	$15.89
Efficient EV	82.8	0	$28.97	$13.24
EV Truck/SUV	132.4	1	$46.35	$21.19

Gas CO2

116 kg

EV CO2

39 kg (66% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Tucson, AZ

Morning in Tucson on Monday

Local time

6:12 AM

MST

Current temp

53°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Saint Michaels, AZ

Morning in Saint Michaels on Monday

Local time

7:12 AM

MDT

Current temp

33°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

1 hour later

The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.

Temperature spread

20 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

6h 57m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

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 Saint Michaels, AZ covers 331.1 miles and takes about 6h 57m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are East Fort Lowell Road, North Campbell Avenue, East River Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 165.5 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 $65.89 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 57m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Tucson, AZ to Saint Michaels, AZ is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Tucson, AZ to Saint Michaels, AZ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.