Origin
Catalina Foothills, AZ
Late night in Catalina Foothills on Sunday
Local time
3:29 AM
MST
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Catalina Foothills, AZ to Tucson, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
16m
Distance
7.1 mi
11 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 17m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 15m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Catalina Foothills, AZ
Mark Direen
Tucson, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Catalina Foothills, AZ to Tucson, AZ is 7.1 miles and takes about 16 minutes via North Country Club Road, North Hacienda del Sol Road, and East River Road, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Desert Southwest region, connecting two points in Arizona. Expect a local driving experience, ideal for a quick transfer or a brief exploration of the immediate area. Given its brevity, this route is best suited for a single day, allowing ample time for any necessary stops or a leisurely pace.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Country Club Road | 3 mi | 6m |
| North Hacienda del Sol Road | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| East River Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| East Fort Lowell Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Dodge Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Alvernon Way | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Country Club Road
— 3 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Catalina Foothills, AZ and Tucson, AZ.
1
Start on North Hacienda del Sol Road
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
North Hacienda del Sol Road
2
Turn left onto East River Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East River Road
3
Continue on North Alvernon Way
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
North Alvernon Way
4
Turn right onto North Dodge Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Dodge Boulevard
5
Turn right onto East Fort Lowell Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Fort Lowell Road
6
Turn left onto North Country Club Road
3.0 mi
·
6 min
·
North Country Club Road
7
Continue on North Country Club Road
182 ft
·
15 sec
·
North Country Club Road
8
Arrive at destination
North Country Club Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 4.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
East River Road
Turn left onto East River Road
Navigation decision point
4
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
North Dodge Boulevard
Turn right onto North Dodge Boulevard
Navigation decision point
4
3.3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
East Fort Lowell Road
Turn right onto East Fort Lowell Road
Navigation decision point
3
4.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
North Country Club Road
Turn left onto North Country Club Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.41 one way
$2.83 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $1.50 | $2.99 |
| premium | $5.59 | $1.56 | $3.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.57 | $3.14 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.75 | $0.34 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.62 | $0.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.99 | $0.45 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Tucson, AZ
Late night in Tucson on Sunday
Local time
3:29 AM
MST
Current temp
54°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
1 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
16m 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?
This drive is characterized by frequent turns, making it a highly local experience rather than a highway journey. With 0% highway share, you'll be navigating primarily surface streets. The longest stretch without a turn is approximately 3 miles along North Country Club Road. As you progress, the route will feel like a typical urban or suburban drive, with residential and commercial areas likely unfolding around you. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience dictated by traffic signals and intersection navigation.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3 mi on North Country Club Road.
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 around 1.3 miles in near East River Road.
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 16m 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: at 1.3 miles (East River Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (North Dodge Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (East Fort Lowell Road): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Catalina Foothills, AZ
Full guide →Arriving in Tucson, AZ
Full guide →Tucson (TOO-sawn), also known as the "Old Pueblo", is the second-largest city in the state of Arizona and the county seat of Pima County in the Sonoran Desert. It is at a higher elevation than nearby Phoenix and is correspondingly cooler. Although with half a million residents it is smaller than the capital city, its cultural life is just as vibrant.
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 16m. Total distance: 7.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m 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 3 miles on North Country Club Road. 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: at 1.3 miles (East River Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (North Dodge Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (East Fort Lowell Road): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Saguaro National Park. 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 Tucson, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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