The drive from Chandler, AZ to Benson, AZ covers 142.9 miles and takes about 2h 37m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, Tucson-Benson Highway, Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly surface roads.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 54.6 miles on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $27.70 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
71.5 miles from Chandler, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 21m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.6 mi
55m
Tucson-Benson Highway
42.9 mi
44m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
23.5 mi
23m
North Arizona Avenue
6.9 mi
11m
AZ 587
6.1 mi
9m
North Freeway
6.1 mi
6m
I 10 Bus
1.9 mi
3m
I 10 Business
0.3 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 Benson, 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
6.1 mi·6 min·North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 10
43 mi·44 min·Tucson-Benson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit onto I 10 Business
0.3 mi·34 sec·I 10 Business
Exit 303Toward I 10 Business: Tombstone, Douglas
12
Continue on I 10 Bus; US 80 Hist
1.9 mi·3 min·I 10 Bus; US 80 Hist
Toward I 10 BUS, AZ 80: Benson, Douglas
13
Turn right onto South San Pedro Street
16 ft·0 sec·South San Pedro Street
14
Arrive at destination
South San Pedro Street
Trip Plan
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 71.5 miles from Chandler, AZ, or about 1h 21m 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 31 miles or 39m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 71.5 miles or 1h 21m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 8m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Benson, 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 142.9 miles and 2h 37m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 31 miles from Chandler, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
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.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 140.7 — 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.
6
140.7 mi into trip|~2h 33m in|I 10 Business
Take the exit onto I 10 Business toward I 10 Business: Tombstone, Douglas
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 303
Toward I 10 Business: Tombstone, Douglas
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$27.70 one way
$55.39 round trip
$4.92/gal25.4 MPG avg50 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.20
$29.27
$58.53
premium
$5.44
$30.59
$61.18
diesel
$5.60
$31.50
$63.00
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$28
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$53–$78
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 50 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
42.9
0
$15.00
$6.86
Efficient EV
35.7
0
$12.50
$5.72
EV Truck/SUV
57.2
0
$20.01
$9.15
Gas CO2
50 kg
EV CO2
17 kg (66% 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 Aug 29, 2026
Origin
Chandler, AZ
Late night
in Chandler on Friday
Local time
12:48 AM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
ESE 5 mph15% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued August 29 at 5:26AM MST until August 31 at 5:00AM MST by NWS Tucson AZ
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued August 29 at 5:25AM MST until August 29 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ
Destination
Benson, AZ
Late night
in Benson on Friday
Local time
12:48 AM
MST
Current temp
67°F
Partly Cloudy
SW 1 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued August 29 at 5:26AM MST until August 31 at 5:00AM MST by NWS Tucson AZ
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued August 29 at 5:25AM MST until August 29 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ
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
21 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 37m 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.
Saguaro National Park
National Park
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...
9 mi from route
~22 min detour
$25
near mile 108.4
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...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
Free
near mile 29.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
142.9 mi in 2h 37m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 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?
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 0.1 miles in near North Washington Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 37m drive. You will face about 7 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.
Benson is a historic rail town of 5,400 people (2020) in Southeast Arizona. For visitors there is little of interest in the town, but it does offer a range of options for accommodation and as such can be a good base for exploring the region.
Top landmarks
•Apache Powder Historic Residential District — historic area in Benson, Arizona
•Benson Railroad Historic District — historic district in Benson, Arizona
•Hi Wo Company Grocery — historic building in Benson, Arizona, United States
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 — Saguaro National Park and Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. 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 Benson, AZ before heading back.
