Origin
Buckeye, AZ
Late night in Buckeye on Tuesday
Local time
3:41 AM
MST
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buckeye, 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
45m
Distance
31.4 mi
50 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 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buckeye, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Surprise, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 31.4-mile drive from Buckeye, AZ to Surprise, AZ is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking only about 45 minutes. You'll navigate primarily using Bob Stump Memorial Parkway and Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, with a portion on West Greenway Road. Given the minimal distance and estimated fuel cost of $6, this route is very accessible for a quick excursion within the Desert Southwest region. It's a straightforward journey perfect for a day trip without needing an overnight stay, offering a convenient way to connect these two Arizona locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Stump Memorial Parkway | 10.1 mi | 11m |
| Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway | 8.3 mi | 8m |
| West Greenway Road | 5 mi | 9m |
| South Miller Road | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| North 1st Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Monroe Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Nash Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Santa Fe Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
— 10.1 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buckeye, AZ and Surprise, AZ.
1
Start on US 80 Hist
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
East Monroe Avenue
2
Turn right onto North 1st Street
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
North 1st Street
Use the right lane.
3
Continue on South Miller Road
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
South Miller Road
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 114
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 10
8.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
1.7 mi
·
2 min
Exit 124A
Toward AZ 303 Loop North
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto AZ 303 Loop
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 115
Toward Greenway Road
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto West Greenway Road
5.0 mi
·
9 min
·
West Greenway Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto West Greenway Road
279 ft
·
14 sec
·
West Greenway Road
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto Santa Fe Drive
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Santa Fe Drive
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto North Nash Street
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
North Nash Street
13
Arrive at destination
North Nash Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.7 miles from Buckeye, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 30.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North 1st Street
Turn right onto North 1st Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
4.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 114
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
7
13.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward AZ 303 Loop North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 124A
Toward AZ 303 Loop North
7
25.4 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Greenway Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 115
Toward Greenway Road
7
30.8 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
Santa Fe Drive
Turn left onto Santa Fe Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.26 one way
$12.51 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.62 | $13.24 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.91 | $13.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.93 | $13.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.30 | $1.51 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.75 | $1.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.40 | $2.01 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
3:41 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
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
45m 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 drive on this route, with 32% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.1 miles along Bob Stump Memorial Parkway. This segment likely provides a more open-road feel before transitioning to other main roads like Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway and West Greenway Road. The character of the drive involves a blend of faster highway speeds and potentially more local road sections as you approach your destination.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.1 mi on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.4 miles in near North 1st Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 31.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Buckeye, AZ
Full guide →Founded 1888
Top landmarks
- • Buckeye Union High School — Buckeye, Arizona, United States
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 45m. Total distance: 31.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.1 miles on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 0.4 miles (North 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.6 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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