Origin
Carefree, AZ
Late night in Carefree on Sunday
Local time
2:55 AM
MST
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carefree, AZ to Maryvale, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
33.7 mi
54 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carefree, AZ
Serg Alesenko
Maryvale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 33.7-mile drive from Carefree, AZ to Maryvale, AZ takes about 53 minutes and is easily manageable as a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate via the Black Canyon Freeway and West Camelback Road, with North Cave Creek Road also playing a role. With a fuel cost estimated at $7, this is a very budget-friendly excursion. The route offers a mixed drive profile, meaning you'll experience a variety of road types. Both your origin and destination are within the Desert Southwest region, so expect consistent arid landscapes throughout your journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Black Canyon Freeway | 10.2 mi | 11m |
| North Cave Creek Road | 9.7 mi | 16m |
| West Camelback Road | 3.7 mi | 7m |
| Pima Freeway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| East Carefree Highway | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| North Tom Darlington Drive | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| North 55th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Bloody Basin Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Black Canyon Freeway
— 10.2 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carefree, AZ and Maryvale, AZ.
1
Start on North Tranquil Trail
10 ft
·
0 sec
·
North Tranquil Trail
2
Continue on North Bloody Basin Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Bloody Basin Road
3
At end of road, turn left onto North Tom Darlington Drive
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North Tom Darlington Drive
4
Turn right onto East Carefree Highway
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
East Carefree Highway
5
Turn left onto North Cave Creek Road
9.7 mi
·
16 min
·
North Cave Creek Road
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
394 ft
·
7 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop West
Use the right lane.
7
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
this road
Toward AZ 101 Loop West
8
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Pima Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
Exit 23C-B
Toward I 17 South, I 17 North: Phoenix, Flagstaff
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 17 South: Phoenix
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 17
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Black Canyon Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 203
Toward Camelback Road
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn straight onto North Black Canyon Highway
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
North Black Canyon Highway
14
Turn right onto West Camelback Road
3.7 mi
·
7 min
·
West Camelback Road
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto North 55th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North 55th Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Arrive at destination
North 55th Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 33.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.9 miles from Carefree, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 13.6 and 29.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
13.6 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the ramp toward AZ 101 Loop West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward AZ 101 Loop West
5
14.1 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
17.7 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward I 17 South, I 17 North: Phoenix, Flagstaff
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 23C-B
Toward I 17 South, I 17 North: Phoenix, Flagsta...
7
18.1 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 17 South: Phoenix
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 17 South: Phoenix
7
29.2 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward Camelback Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 203
Toward Camelback Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.71 one way
$13.43 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $7.10 | $14.21 |
| premium | $5.59 | $7.42 | $14.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.44 | $14.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
| Efficient EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.95 | $1.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.72 | $2.16 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Maryvale, AZ
Late night in Maryvale on Sunday
Local time
2:55 AM
MST
Current temp
89°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
5 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
53m 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 41% of it being highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.2 miles on the Black Canyon Freeway, allowing for some steady progress. As you transition from the freeway to local roads like North Cave Creek Road and West Camelback Road, the pace will likely change, offering a blend of faster travel and more controlled city driving. This variety means you won't be stuck in a monotonous interstate grind for the entire 53-minute duration.
41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.2 mi on Black Canyon Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 13.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 33.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.1 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. 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.
On the drive from Carefree, AZ to Maryvale, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Flagstaff along the way.
Flagstaff
17.7 mi in
|
~29m
About the Cities
Arriving in Maryvale, AZ
Full guide →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 53m. Total distance: 33.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.2 miles on Black Canyon Freeway. 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 Maryvale, 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 13.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.1 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Maryvale, 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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