Drive Time
8h 9m
Distance
356.3 mi
573 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$69
one way
The drive from Tucson, AZ to Cottonwood, AZ covers 356.3 miles and takes about 8h 9m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
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 $69.45 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
178.1 miles from Tucson, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 4m into the drive .
Expect a 8h 9m drive with frequent turns across 356.3 miles of local and secondary 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.
Step-by-step road directions between Tucson, AZ and Cottonwood, AZ.
Start on North Country Club Road
Turn left onto East Fort Lowell Road
Turn right onto North Campbell Avenue
Turn left onto East River Road
Turn right onto North 1st Avenue
Turn left onto East Orange Grove Road
Continue on West Orange Grove Road
Turn right onto North Oracle Road
Continue on Tucson-Globe Highway
Continue on American Avenue
Continue on Tucson-Globe Highway
At the end of the road, turn left onto Globe-Lordsburg Highway
Continue on East Ash Street
Take the exit right
Merge slight left onto Globe-Show Low Highway
Continue on West Deuce of Clubs
Turn left onto North Penrod Road
Continue on Show Low-Holbrook Highway
Continue on South Main Street
Continue on Show Low-Holbrook Highway
Continue on South Main Street
Continue on Show Low-Holbrook Highway
Continue on Arizona State Highway 77
Continue on Show Low-Holbrook Highway
Continue on Holbrook-Springerville Highway
Continue on Navajo Boulevard
Take the exit right
Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail
Take the exit slight right toward US 191 North: Ganado
Turn left onto Chambers-Mexican Water Highway
Turn left
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
Exit the roundabout
Merge slight left onto Arizona State Highway 264
Turn right onto Navajo Route 25
At the end of the road, turn left onto Navajo Routes 25 and 251
Continue on Navajo Route 25
At the end of the road, turn left onto Navajo Route 4
Turn left
Arrive at your destination
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.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
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 49m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 178.1 miles or 4h 4m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 178.1 miles or 4h 4m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 46m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cottonwood, AZ than in the middle of the route.
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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Tucson, AZ
Aim for roughly 178 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Cottonwood, AZ
Aim for roughly 178 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 178.1 mi from Tucson, AZ · 4h 4m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
178 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Queen Creek, AZNight 1
178 mi · about 4.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Queen Creek, AZ after about 178 miles or 4.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 178.1 miles from Tucson, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 178 miles or 4.1 hours on the road.
The final approach into Cottonwood, 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 Cottonwood, AZ.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Cottonwood, AZ with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$69.45 one way
$138.90 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.34 | $74.88 | $149.76 |
| premium | $5.57 | $78.08 | $156.15 |
| diesel | $6.37 | $89.30 | $178.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$69
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$199–$309
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 124.7 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $37 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 106.9 | 1 | $37.41 | $17.10 |
| Efficient EV | 89.1 | 1 | $31.18 | $14.25 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 142.5 | 1 | $49.88 | $22.80 |
Gas CO2
125 kg
EV CO2
42 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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Morning in Tucson on Saturday
Local time
8:11 AM
MST
Current temp
53°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Morning in Cottonwood on Saturday
Local time
9:11 AM
MDT
Current temp
40°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
56°F
Queen Creek, AZ
178 mi in
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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