This 131.1-mile drive from Chandler, AZ to Arivaca Junction, AZ is a manageable one-day trip, taking approximately 2 hours and 26 minutes. You'll navigate primarily via the Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, Nogales–Tucson Highway, and Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway, with a relatively low highway share of 9%. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $26. This route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, offering a less direct but perhaps more engaging experience through the Desert Southwest region.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
65.6 miles from Chandler, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 14m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.6 mi
55m
Nogales–Tucson Highway
33 mi
37m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
23.5 mi
23m
North Arizona Avenue
6.9 mi
11m
AZ 587
6.1 mi
9m
North Freeway
5.4 mi
6m
West Arivaca Road
0.2 mi
<1m
North Washington Street
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
— 54.6 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chandler, AZ and Arivaca Junction, AZ.
1
Start on East Chandler Boulevard
357 ft·9 sec·East Chandler Boulevard
2
Turn right onto North Washington Street
0.1 mi·21 sec·North Washington Street
Use the right lane.
3
Turn right onto East Buffalo Street
393 ft·15 sec·East Buffalo Street
4
Turn left onto AZ 87
6.9 mi·11 min·North Arizona Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on AZ 587
6.1 mi·9 min·AZ 587
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·36 sec
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
7
Merge onto I 10
24 mi·23 min·Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 10
55 mi·55 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
5.4 mi·6 min·North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.5 mi·37 sec
Exit 260Toward I 19 South: NogalesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 19
33 mi·37 min·Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi·36 sec
Toward Arivaca Road
13
Turn right onto West Arivaca Road
0.1 mi·18 sec·West Arivaca Road
14
Continue on West Arivaca Road
424 ft·8 sec·West Arivaca Road
15
Arrive at destination
West Arivaca Road
Trip Plan
Given the 2-hour 26-minute duration and the 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, this trip is best suited for a single day. Start your journey in the morning to allow ample time for the numerous turns and to avoid potential afternoon heat in the Desert Southwest. While there are no specific stops listed, plan for breaks as needed, especially during the 54.6-mile stretch on the Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as this route is estimated to cost $26 in fuel.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 65.6 miles from Chandler, AZ, or about 1h 14m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 54.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 29 miles or 37m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 65.6 miles or 1h 14m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 59m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Arivaca Junction, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Chandler, AZ so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Chandler, AZ
This is one driving day of about 131.1 miles and 2h 26m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 miles from Chandler, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway for about 54.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 65.6 miles from Chandler, 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 97.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|North Washington Street
Turn right onto North Washington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|East Buffalo Street
Turn right onto East Buffalo Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|AZ 87 / North Arizona Avenue
Turn left onto AZ 87 / North Arizona Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
13.6 mi into trip|~22m in|I 10 / Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Merge onto I 10 / Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
97.2 mi into trip|~1h 47m in
Take the exit toward I 19 South: Nogales
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 260
Toward I 19 South: Nogales
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$26.12 one way
$52.23 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg46 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$27.64
$55.28
premium
$5.59
$28.86
$57.71
diesel
$5.61
$28.95
$57.89
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$26
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$51–$76
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 45.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
39.3
0
$13.77
$6.29
Efficient EV
32.8
0
$11.47
$5.24
EV Truck/SUV
52.4
0
$18.35
$8.39
Gas CO2
46 kg
EV CO2
15 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.
Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026
Origin
Chandler, AZ
Night
in Chandler on Saturday
Local time
9:44 PM
MST
Current temp
89°F
Partly Sunny
S 0 to 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 3:13AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 3:13AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Destination
Arivaca Junction, AZ
Night
in Arivaca Junction on Saturday
Local time
9:44 PM
MST
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
41 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
2h 26m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
National Monument
An Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether a gathering place for people or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of...
11 mi from route
~27 min detour
Free
near mile 27.1
Tumacácori sits at a cultural crossroads in the Santa Cruz River valley. Here O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met and mingled with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers...
11 mi from route
~28 min detour
$10
near mile 131.1
Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are pr...
13 mi from route
~33 min detour
$25
near mile 94.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' on this route, meaning you'll be making frequent turns rather than cruising long stretches of interstate. With only a 9% highway share, most of your time will be spent on local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 54.6 miles on the Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. This suggests a driving experience that requires constant attention to navigation and road changes as you move through various local thoroughfares.
Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 54.6 mi on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 0.1 miles in near North Washington Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 26m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (East Buffalo Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (AZ 87 / North Arizona Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 54.6 miles on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (East Buffalo Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (AZ 87 / North Arizona Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park and 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 Arivaca Junction, AZ before heading back.
