Origin
Bullhead City, AZ
Night in Bullhead City on Saturday
Local time
9:58 PM
MST
Current temp
90°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bullhead City, AZ to Lake Havasu City, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
64.7 mi
104 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bullhead City, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling between Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City is a straightforward 64.7-mile journey through the heart of the Desert Southwest. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 27 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via the Mohave Valley Highway, the Quartzsite–Parker–Topock Highway, and segments of the Needles Freeway. With fuel costs estimated at around $13, it is an accessible and budget-friendly excursion for those exploring Arizona. Because the entire route remains within the same region, you can anticipate a consistent desert climate throughout your transit. Whether you are headed south for a quick getaway or returning home, the manageable duration offers plenty of flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mohave Valley Highway | 20.5 mi | 32m |
| Quartzsite–Parker–Topock Highway | 17.7 mi | 22m |
| Needles Freeway | 11.4 mi | 12m |
| Purple Heart Trail | 9 mi | 8m |
| Acoma Boulevard West | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Harbor Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| North K Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| US 66 Hist | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Mohave Valley Highway
— 20.5 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bullhead City, AZ and Lake Havasu City, AZ.
1
Start on 4th Street
20 ft
·
6 sec
·
4th Street
2
Turn left onto AZ 95
21 mi
·
32 min
·
Mohave Valley Highway
3
Continue on AZ 95
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Harbor Avenue
4
Continue on North K Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North K Street
5
At end of road, turn left onto Front Street
465 ft
·
14 sec
·
Front Street
6
Turn right onto J Street
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
J Street
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
8
Merge onto I 40; US 95
0.8 mi
·
52 sec
·
Needles Freeway
9
Take the exit onto US 95
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
·
US 95
Toward US 95 South: East Broadway, Blythe
10
Continue on CR 66
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
·
CR 66
11
Merge onto I 40
11 mi
·
11 min
·
Needles Freeway
12
Continue on I 40; AZ 95; US 66 Hist
0.3 mi
·
18 sec
·
Purple Heart Trail
13
Take the exit onto US 66 Hist
0.5 mi
·
31 sec
·
US 66 Hist
Toward Bullhead City, Laughlin, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
14
Merge onto I 40
8.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 9
Toward AZ 95 South: Lake Havasu City, Parker, Lake Havasu State Park, London Bridge
16
Turn right onto AZ 95
18 mi
·
22 min
·
Quartzsite–Parker–Topock Highway
17
Turn left onto Acoma Boulevard West
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Acoma Boulevard West
Use the left lane.
18
Turn left onto Smoketree Avenue North
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Smoketree Avenue North
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto Mescal Loop
51 ft
·
2 sec
·
Mescal Loop
20
Arrive at destination
Mescal Loop
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.4 miles from Bullhead City, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 22.5 and 64.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
22.5 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
J Street
Turn right onto J Street
Navigation decision point
5
23.8 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
US 95
Take the exit onto US 95 toward US 95 South: East Broadway, Blythe
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 95 South: East Broadway, Blythe
6
44.5 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Take the exit toward AZ 95 South: Lake Havasu City, Parker, Lake Havasu State Park, London Bridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 9
Toward AZ 95 South: Lake Havasu City, Parker, L...
6
62.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
|
Acoma Boulevard West
Turn left onto Acoma Boulevard West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
64.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 26m in
|
Smoketree Avenue North
Turn left onto Smoketree Avenue North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.89 one way
$25.78 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $13.64 | $27.28 |
| premium | $5.59 | $14.24 | $28.48 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.28 | $28.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.79 | $3.11 |
| Efficient EV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.66 | $2.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.9 | 0 | $9.06 | $4.14 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (65% 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
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Night in Lake Havasu City on Saturday
Local time
9:58 PM
MST
Current temp
84°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention as you transition between different road types. Only 19% of this route consists of highway driving, meaning you will spend the majority of your time on local roads navigating the desert landscape. Your longest uninterrupted stretch is 20.5 miles along the Mohave Valley Highway, which provides a brief reprieve from the more technical sections. The personality of this trip shifts as you move between the highway and local connectors, requiring you to remain alert to changing speed limits and road conditions. It is far from a monotonous interstate grind, offering a more hands-on driving experience that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
Only 19% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.5 mi on Mohave Valley Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 22.5 miles in near J Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 64.7 miles you will encounter 14 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 22.5 miles (J Street): Navigation decision point; at 23.8 miles (US 95): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 44.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Bullhead City, AZ and Lake Havasu City, AZ, road signs point toward Blythe, Laughlin, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, Parker and Lake Havasu State Park.
Blythe
23.8 mi in
|
~38m
|
via US 95
Laughlin
35.3 mi in
|
~50m
|
via US 66 Hist
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
35.3 mi in
|
~50m
|
via US 66 Hist
Parker
44.5 mi in
|
~1h
Lake Havasu State Park
44.5 mi in
|
~1h
About the Cities
Starting in Bullhead City, AZ
Full guide →Bullhead City is in Northern Arizona.
Arriving in Lake Havasu City, AZ
Full guide →Lake Havasu City is a city in Mohave County in western Arizona. It is known best for being the home of the 1831 London Bridge, which Robert McCulloch, the founder of the city, bought from the British government in 1967.
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 1h 27m. Total distance: 64.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.5 miles on Mohave Valley Highway. 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 Lake Havasu City, 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 22.5 miles (J Street): Navigation decision point; at 23.8 miles (US 95): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 44.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lake Havasu City, 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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