Origin
Apache Junction, AZ
Late night in Apache Junction on Sunday
Local time
12:33 AM
MST
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Apache Junction, AZ to Mesa, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
16.4 mi
26 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Apache Junction, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Mesa, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transit through the Desert Southwest, the 16.4-mile trip from Apache Junction to Mesa is a straightforward commute. You can easily complete this drive in about 28 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day journey that requires no overnight stops. Navigating via East Main Street, West Apache Trail, and East University Drive, you will find the route efficient and hassle-free. With a fuel budget of just $3, this is an incredibly economical way to travel between these two Arizona cities. Whether you are running errands or heading to a meeting, the lack of required stops ensures you reach your destination without any unnecessary delays.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Main Street | 8 mi | 13m |
| West Apache Trail | 6.8 mi | 11m |
| East University Drive | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Stapley Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North Apache Trail | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East Main Street
— 8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Apache Junction, AZ and Mesa, AZ.
1
Start on North Apache Trail
196 ft
·
11 sec
·
North Apache Trail
2
Continue on North Apache Trail
376 ft
·
23 sec
·
North Apache Trail
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on US 80 Hist
6.8 mi
·
11 min
·
West Apache Trail
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on US 80 Hist
8.0 mi
·
13 min
·
East Main Street
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto North Stapley Drive
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
North Stapley Drive
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto East University Drive
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East University Drive
Use the left lane.
7
Arrive at destination
East University Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Apache Trail
Continue onto North Apache Trail
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 80 Hist / West Apache Trail
Continue onto US 80 Hist / West Apache Trail
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
14.9 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
North Stapley Drive
Turn right onto North Stapley Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
15.4 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
East University Drive
Turn left onto East University Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.27 one way
$6.53 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $3.46 | $6.92 |
| premium | $5.59 | $3.61 | $7.22 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.62 | $7.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Mesa, AZ
Late night in Mesa on Sunday
Local time
12:33 AM
MST
Current temp
80°F
Partly Sunny
SW 0 to 15 mph
13% chance
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
20 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
28m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience on this journey. Because the highway share is 0%, your time behind the wheel will be spent entirely on local roads, requiring you to stay alert at intersections. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is an 8-mile segment along East Main Street, which provides the most consistent flow of the trip. As you transition between the two cities, the route maintains a steady, urban pace that differs significantly from a monotonous highway grind. You should prepare for a hands-on driving experience where navigation through local streets is the primary focus.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on East Main Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 early in the drive near North Apache Trail.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 28m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Apache Trail): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (US 80 Hist / West Apache Trail): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.9 miles (North Stapley Drive): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,720 ft
1,242 ft
Total Climb
1 ft
Total Descent
478 ft
Highest Point
1,720 ft
Elevation Range
478 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Mesa, AZ
Full guide →Mesa, population 518,000 (2019), is in Maricopa County. It is Arizona's third-largest city, and is part of the Greater Phoenix urban complex.
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 28m. Total distance: 16.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m 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
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8 miles on East Main Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start (North Apache Trail): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (US 80 Hist / West Apache Trail): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.9 miles (North Stapley Drive): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Tonto National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Mesa, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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