Origin
Vail, AZ
Morning in Vail on Friday
Local time
11:11 AM
MST
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Vail, AZ to Tucson, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
20.9 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
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Vail, AZ
Zsolt Pujsz
Tucson, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 20.9-mile drive from Vail to Tucson, Arizona, will take about 27 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily navigate local roads, including the Tucson-Benson Highway, South Alvernon Way, and South Country Club Road, with no highway driving involved. Given the minimal distance and time, you can easily complete this journey without needing an overnight stay. Budget around $4 for fuel for this trip. The overall feel is a straightforward local transit through the Desert Southwest region.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 20.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, characterized by its continuous engagement with city streets and local thoroughfares rather than open highway. With a 0% highway share, this drive keeps you connected to the landscape at a more intimate pace. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.7 miles along the Tucson-Benson Highway. This road profile suggests a drive where you'll be making frequent adjustments, offering a dynamic driving experience without the monotony of long highway stretches.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 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 13.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 20.9 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 West: Tucson
Navigation decision point
Toward I 10 West: Tucson
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m 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.
7
15.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward Alvernon Way North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 265
Toward Alvernon Way North
3
16 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
South Alvernon Way
Turn straight onto South Alvernon Way
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
17.2 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
South Alvernon Way
Keep slight right at fork onto South Alvernon Way toward Alvernon Way
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Alvernon Way
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Vail, AZ to Tucson, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Alvernon Way North along the way.
Alvernon Way North
15.4 mi in
|
~17m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tucson-Benson Highway | 13.7 mi | 14m |
| South Alvernon Way | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| South Country Club Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| East Colossal Cave Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Barraza Aviation Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Country Club Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tucson-Benson Highway
— 13.7 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Vail, AZ and Tucson, AZ.
1
Start on East Colossal Cave Road
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Colossal Cave Road
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 10 West: Tucson
3
Merge onto I 10
14 mi
·
14 min
·
Tucson-Benson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 265
Toward Alvernon Way North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Turn straight onto South Alvernon Way
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
South Alvernon Way
Use the left lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto South Alvernon Way
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Alvernon Way
Toward Alvernon Way
7
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
8
Turn straight onto AZ 210
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East Barraza Aviation Highway
9
Turn right onto South Country Club Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
South Country Club Road
10
Continue on North Country Club Road
91 ft
·
2 sec
·
North Country Club Road
Use the left lane.
11
Arrive at destination
North Country Club Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.16 one way
$8.33 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $4.41 | $8.81 |
| premium | $5.59 | $4.60 | $9.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.61 | $9.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.19 | $1.00 |
| Efficient EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.83 | $0.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.93 | $1.34 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Tucson, AZ
Morning in Tucson on Friday
Local time
11:11 AM
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
27m 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 Vail, AZ to Tucson, AZ covers 20.9 miles and takes about 27m 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, South Country Club Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.5 miles from Vail, AZ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.16 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 20.9 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Vail, AZ to Tucson, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Alvernon Way North along the way.
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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