Trip from Tucson, AZ to Vail, AZ

Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology

Drive Time

29m

Distance

21.4 mi

34 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min

4 AM

0h 27m ★

6 AM

0h 29m

8 AM

0h 34m

10 AM

0h 31m

12 PM

0h 30m

3 PM

0h 31m

5 PM

0h 34m

8 PM

0h 28m

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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Trip Overview

The drive from Tucson, AZ to Vail, AZ covers 21.4 miles and takes about 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Tucson-Benson Highway, South Alvernon Way, North Country Club Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.6 miles on Tucson-Benson Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.26 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 21.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 29m drive with frequent turns across 21.4 miles of local and secondary roads.

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

There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Tucson-Benson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.6 miles.

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 3 miles in near South Alvernon Way.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 29m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3 miles (South Alvernon Way): Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 5 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4

3 mi into trip | ~6m in | South Alvernon Way

Turn right onto South Alvernon Way

Navigation decision point

6

5.4 mi into trip | ~10m in

Turn left toward I 10 East: El Paso

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward I 10 East: El Paso

5

5.9 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway

Merge onto I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

8

19.5 mi into trip | ~25m in

Take the exit toward Colossal Cave Road, Wentworth Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 279 Toward Colossal Cave Road, Wentworth Road

4

19.8 mi into trip | ~26m in | US 80 Historic / South Wentworth Road

Turn left onto US 80 Historic / South Wentworth Road

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Tucson-Benson Highway	13.6 mi	14m
South Alvernon Way	2.4 mi	3m
North Country Club Road	1.7 mi	4m
East Colossal Cave Road	1.5 mi	2m
East Barraza Aviation Highway	1 mi	1m
South Wentworth Road	0.2 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: Tucson-Benson Highway — 13.6 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on North Country Club Road

199 ft · 32 sec · North Country Club Road

2

Continue on North Country Club Road

1.7 mi · 3 min · North Country Club Road

3

Take the ramp

160 ft · 4 sec

4

Turn straight onto AZ 210

1.0 mi · 1 min · East Barraza Aviation Highway

5

Turn straight

155 ft · 2 sec

Toward Alvernon Way

6

Continue on this road

0.2 mi · 22 sec · this road

Toward Alvernon Way

7

Turn right onto South Alvernon Way

2.4 mi · 3 min · South Alvernon Way

8

Turn left

0.5 mi · 1 min

Toward I 10 East: El Paso Use the straight / right lanes.

9

Merge onto I 10

14 mi · 14 min · Tucson-Benson Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 34 sec

Exit 279 Toward Colossal Cave Road, Wentworth Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.

11

Turn left onto US 80 Historic

0.2 mi · 16 sec · South Wentworth Road

12

Continue on US 80 Historic

1.5 mi · 2 min · East Colossal Cave Road

13

Arrive at destination

East Colossal Cave Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.26 one way

$8.53 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$5.36	$4.51	$9.02
premium	$5.59	$4.71	$9.42
diesel	$5.61	$4.72	$9.45

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 57% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	6.4	$2.25	$1.03
Efficient EV	5.4	$1.87	$0.86
EV Truck/SUV	8.6	$3.00	$1.37

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (57% 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

Tucson, AZ

Night in Tucson on Thursday

Local time

11:26 PM

MST

Current temp

54°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Vail, AZ

Night in Vail on Thursday

Local time

11:26 PM

MST

Current temp

52°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

29m 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 Vail, AZ covers 21.4 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Tucson-Benson Highway, South Alvernon Way, North Country Club Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 10.7 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 $4.26 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 straightforward 29m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: at 3 miles (South Alvernon Way): Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

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

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Explore More

Return Trip

Vail, AZ to Tucson, AZ

Plan the drive back the other way.

20.9 mi 27m

Explore more options from Tucson, AZ or browse trips ending in Vail, AZ.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AZ road trips.