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Trip from Drexel Heights, 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

20m

Distance

11 mi

18 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 19m ★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m ★

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Drexel Heights, AZ, AZ

Drexel Heights, AZ

Quang Vuong

city in and county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States

Tucson, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Drexel Heights to Tucson is 11 miles and takes about 20 minutes via West Irvington Road, West 22nd Street, and Nogales–Tucson Highway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick drive stays within Arizona's Desert Southwest region, offering a straightforward local transit experience. Given its short distance and duration, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion. Plan for a straightforward journey with minimal travel time, perfect for a quick errand or connecting to other nearby destinations.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
West Irvington Road 2.7 mi 5m
West 22nd Street 1.7 mi 2m
Nogales–Tucson Highway 1.7 mi 2m
South Cardinal Avenue 1.3 mi 2m
East Broadway Boulevard 1 mi 2m
South Freeway Road 0.7 mi 1m
South Kino Parkway 0.6 mi 1m
South Campbell Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: West Irvington Road — 2.7 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Drexel Heights, AZ and Tucson, AZ.

1

Start on West Bilby Road

71 ft · 3 sec · West Bilby Road
2

Turn right onto South Cardinal Avenue

1.3 mi · 2 min · South Cardinal Avenue
3

At end of road, turn right onto West Irvington Road

2.7 mi · 5 min · West Irvington Road
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 58 sec
Toward I 19 North: Phoenix, El Paso
5

Merge onto I 19

1.7 mi · 2 min · Nogales–Tucson Highway
6

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 30 sec
Exit 102 Toward 29th Street/22nd Street, Silverlake Road, Starr Pass Boulevard Use the slight right lane.
7

Continue on South Freeway Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Freeway Road
8

Turn right onto West 22nd Street

1.7 mi · 2 min · West 22nd Street
9

Turn slight left

0.3 mi · 50 sec
10

Turn straight onto South Kino Parkway

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Kino Parkway
11

Continue on South Campbell Avenue

0.3 mi · 33 sec · South Campbell Avenue
12

Turn right onto East Broadway Boulevard

1.0 mi · 2 min · East Broadway Boulevard
Use the right lane.
13

Turn left onto North Country Club Road

131 ft · 8 sec · North Country Club Road
14

Arrive at destination

North Country Club Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | South Cardinal Avenue

Turn right onto South Cardinal Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
1.3 mi into trip | ~2m in | West Irvington Road

At end of road, turn right onto West Irvington Road

Navigation decision point

6
4 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the ramp toward I 19 North: Phoenix, El Paso

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 19 North: Phoenix, El Paso
9
6.1 mi into trip | ~10m in

Keep slight right at fork toward 29th Street/22nd Street, Silverlake Road, Starr Pass Boulevard

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 102 Toward 29th Street/22nd Street, Silverlake Road...
5
10 mi into trip | ~17m in | East Broadway Boulevard

Turn right onto East Broadway Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.19 one way

$4.38 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.36 $2.32 $4.64
premium $5.59 $2.42 $4.84
diesel $5.61 $2.43 $4.86

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.3 0 $1.15 $0.53
Efficient EV 2.8 0 $0.96 $0.44
EV Truck/SUV 4.4 0 $1.54 $0.70

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Drexel Heights, AZ

Late night in Drexel Heights on Sunday

Local time

1:01 AM

MST

Current temp

89°F

Sunny

E 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 12:22PM MST until April 19 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 12:22PM MST until April 19 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ

Destination

Tucson, AZ

Late night in Tucson on Sunday

Local time

1:01 AM

MST

Current temp

90°F

Sunny

ESE 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 12:22PM MST until April 19 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 12:22PM MST until April 19 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ

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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

20m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive with only 11% of the route on highways. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be 2.7 miles on West Irvington Road. This drive involves navigating through local streets, so be prepared for frequent turns and traffic signals. The road character is consistent, primarily serving as a connection within urban and suburban areas rather than a long-distance scenic route.

Only 11% 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: 2.7 mi on West Irvington Road.

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 early in the drive near South Cardinal Avenue.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 20m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (South Cardinal Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (West Irvington Road): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles: 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.

On the drive from Drexel Heights, AZ to Tucson, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward El Paso along the way.

El Paso

4 mi in | ~7m

About the Cities

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 20m. Total distance: 11 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (11%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 2.7 miles on West Irvington Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 4 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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: near the start (South Cardinal Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (West Irvington Road): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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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