Origin
Cave Creek, AZ
Night in Cave Creek on Saturday
Local time
9:21 PM
MST
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cave Creek, 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
54m
Distance
35.3 mi
57 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 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cave Creek, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Mesa, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Cave Creek to Mesa covers a straightforward 35.3-mile distance across the Desert Southwest. You can expect the journey to take approximately 54 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of roughly $7, this drive is highly economical and requires no overnight stops. You will navigate a mix of thoroughfares, including North Scottsdale Road and West McKellips Road, as you transition between these two Arizona communities. Because the trip is relatively short, it offers great flexibility for your schedule, allowing you to reach your destination quickly without the fatigue of a long-haul trek.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pima Freeway | 14.3 mi | 16m |
| North Scottsdale Road | 9.8 mi | 15m |
| West McKellips Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| North Mesa Drive | 2 mi | 3m |
| North Tom Darlington Drive | 2 mi | 4m |
| East McDowell Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| East Cave Creek Road | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| North Alma School Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Pima Freeway
— 14.3 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cave Creek, AZ and Mesa, AZ.
1
Start on East Cave Creek Road
206 ft
·
11 sec
·
East Cave Creek Road
2
Continue on East Cave Creek Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
East Cave Creek Road
3
Turn slight right
171 ft
·
7 sec
Toward North Tom Darlington Drive
4
Turn straight onto North Tom Darlington Drive
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Tom Darlington Drive
5
Turn straight onto North Tom Darlington Drive
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
North Tom Darlington Drive
6
Continue on North Scottsdale Road
9.8 mi
·
15 min
·
North Scottsdale Road
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop East
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
14 mi
·
16 min
·
Pima Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 49
Toward McDowell Road
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto East McDowell Road
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
East McDowell Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto North Alma School Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Alma School Road
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto West McKellips Road
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
West McKellips Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto North Mesa Drive
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Mesa Drive
14
Turn left onto East University Drive
73 ft
·
1 sec
·
East University Drive
Use the left lane.
15
Arrive at destination
East University Drive
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.6 miles from Cave Creek, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 13.6 and 35.3 — 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
Turn left toward AZ 101 Loop East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward AZ 101 Loop East
5
14 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.
7
28.3 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward McDowell Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 49
Toward McDowell Road
6
31.2 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
West McKellips Road
Turn left onto West McKellips Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
35.3 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
East University Drive
Turn left onto East University Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.03 one way
$14.06 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $7.44 | $14.88 |
| premium | $5.59 | $7.77 | $15.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.79 | $15.59 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.4 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 | 10.6 | 0 | $3.71 | $1.69 |
| Efficient EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.09 | $1.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.94 | $2.26 |
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
Mesa, AZ
Night in Mesa on Saturday
Local time
9:21 PM
MST
Current temp
93°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
8 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
54m 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 35.3-mile journey presents a mixed driving experience, balancing high-speed transit with local navigation. You will spend about 40% of your time on highways, with the Pima Freeway serving as the primary artery for the route. Expect a 14.3-mile stretch on the freeway to be the longest uninterrupted portion of your trip, providing a steady pace before you transition into the more varied local road environment. The character of the road shifts as you move from the open desert terrain toward the urban density of Mesa. Navigating these different road types requires you to stay alert, as the flow of traffic changes significantly between the freeway segments and the surface streets.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.3 mi on Pima Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 13.6 miles in.
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 35.3 miles you will encounter 8 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 13.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 54m. Total distance: 35.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.3 miles on Pima 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 Mesa, 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 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.3 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 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Mesa, AZ
More trips to Mesa, AZ
Explore more options from Cave Creek, AZ or browse trips ending in Mesa, AZ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AZ road trips.