Origin
Anthem, AZ
Late night in Anthem on Tuesday
Local time
3:49 AM
MST
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Anthem, AZ to Surprise, AZ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
28.5 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Anthem, AZ
cottonbro studio
Surprise, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 28.5-mile drive from Anthem, AZ to Surprise, AZ is easily manageable in about 40 minutes, making it an ideal day trip. You'll spend about 57% of your journey on highways, with the majority of the travel occurring on the Bob Stump Memorial Parkway. With a modest estimated fuel cost of $6, this route through the Desert Southwest region offers a practical and efficient way to travel between these two Arizona communities. No overnight stays are required, and with no designated stops in the data, you have the flexibility to depart whenever suits your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Stump Memorial Parkway | 12.3 mi | 14m |
| North El Mirage Road | 5.1 mi | 9m |
| Black Canyon Freeway | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| North Black Canyon Highway | 2.8 mi | 2m |
| AZ 303 Loop | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Paradise Lane | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North 41st Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West Anthem Way | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
— 12.3 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Anthem, AZ and Surprise, AZ.
1
Start on this road
241 ft
·
19 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
78 ft
·
7 sec
3
Turn right onto North 41st Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
North 41st Drive
4
Turn right onto West Anthem Way
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
West Anthem Way
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 17 South: Phoenix
6
Merge onto I 17
2.8 mi
·
2 min
·
North Black Canyon Highway
Use the slight right lane.
7
Continue on I 17
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Black Canyon Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 221
Toward AZ 303 Loop South
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto AZ 303 Loop
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
AZ 303 Loop
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
45 sec
11
Continue on this road
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
13
Merge onto AZ 303 Loop
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
·
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
14
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
47 sec
15
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
this road
16
Merge onto AZ 303 Loop
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
1 min
Exit 123
Toward El Mirage Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Exit 123
Toward El Mirage Road
19
Turn left onto North El Mirage Road
5.1 mi
·
9 min
·
North El Mirage Road
Use the right lane.
20
Turn right onto West Paradise Lane
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Paradise Lane
21
Turn left onto North Nash Street
88 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Nash Street
22
Arrive at destination
North Nash Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 22.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
West Anthem Way
Turn right onto West Anthem Way
Navigation decision point
5
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 17 / North Black Canyon Highway
Merge onto I 17 / North Black Canyon Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
7
7.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward AZ 303 Loop South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 221
Toward AZ 303 Loop South
6
7.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
AZ 303 Loop
Turn right onto AZ 303 Loop
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
7
22.5 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward El Mirage Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 123
Toward El Mirage Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.68 one way
$11.36 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.01 | $12.02 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.27 | $12.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.29 | $12.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 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 | 8.5 | 0 | $2.99 | $1.37 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.99 | $1.82 |
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
Surprise, AZ
Late night in Surprise on Tuesday
Local time
3:49 AM
MST
Current temp
59°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
6 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
40m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed driving experience on this route, with a significant portion featuring highway speeds. You'll navigate 28.5 miles, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 12.3 miles on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway. The journey incorporates the Black Canyon Freeway and North El Mirage Road, suggesting a blend of faster-paced highway travel and potentially some more localized road segments as you near your destination. The 57% highway share indicates you'll experience periods of consistent speed before potentially encountering more varied traffic patterns.
57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.3 mi on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near West Anthem Way.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 28.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (West Anthem Way): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (I 17 / North Black Canyon Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Surprise, AZ
Full guide →Sun City is a suburb 20 miles (30km) northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was built as a planned retirement community in Maricopa County in the 1960s. An adjacent retirement community Sun City West was built in the late 1970s; there is also a Sun City Grand. Directly northwest of the three "Sun City" suburbs is Surprise, Arizona.
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 40m. Total distance: 28.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.3 miles on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Surprise, AZ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (West Anthem Way): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (I 17 / North Black Canyon Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Surprise, AZ before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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