Origin
East Sahuarita, AZ
Morning in East Sahuarita on Sunday
Local time
7:57 AM
MST
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from East Sahuarita, 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
38m
Distance
25.6 mi
41 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tucson, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
East Sahuarita, AZ to Tucson, AZ is 25.6 miles and takes about 38 minutes via Nogales–Tucson Highway and East Sahuarita Road, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Desert Southwest region of Arizona. Expect a drive with frequent turns, typical of local routes rather than a long highway haul. Given its brief duration, this is an easy day trip, perfect for those who prefer not to spend too much time on the road or want to maximize time at their destination. Consider it a simple connector between two points in the same state.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nogales–Tucson Highway | 16 mi | 19m |
| East Sahuarita Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| West 22nd Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| South Country Club Road | 1 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:
Nogales–Tucson Highway
— 16 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between East Sahuarita, AZ and Tucson, AZ.
1
Start on East El Toro Road
316 ft
·
10 sec
·
East El Toro Road
2
Turn right onto South Country Club Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Country Club Road
3
At end of road, turn left onto East Sahuarita Road
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
East Sahuarita Road
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward I 19 North: Tucson
5
Merge onto I 19
16 mi
·
19 min
·
Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
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 65 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 24.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
East Sahuarita Road
At end of road, turn left onto East Sahuarita Road
Navigation decision point
4
4.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 19 North: Tucson
Navigation decision point
Toward I 19 North: Tucson
5
4.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway
Merge onto I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
20.7 mi into trip
|
~28m 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
24.5 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
East Broadway Boulevard
Turn right onto East Broadway Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.10 one way
$10.20 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $5.40 | $10.79 |
| premium | $5.59 | $5.64 | $11.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.65 | $11.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.58 | $1.64 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Tucson, AZ
Morning in Tucson on Sunday
Local time
7:57 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
31 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
38m 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 route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be navigating a series of intersections and changes in direction rather than a straight shot. With only a 5% highway share, the majority of your journey will be on local roads like East Sahuarita Road and West 22nd Street. The longest uninterrupted stretch you’ll encounter is 16 miles on the Nogales–Tucson Highway. Be prepared for a driving experience that requires constant attention to navigation and road conditions, as it's less about cruising and more about active steering and speed adjustments.
Only 5% 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: 16 mi on Nogales–Tucson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near East Sahuarita Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 25.6 miles you will encounter 6 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 1.1 miles (East Sahuarita Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4.7 miles (I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 38m. Total distance: 25.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (5%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16 miles on Nogales–Tucson Highway. 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 1.1 miles (East Sahuarita Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4.7 miles (I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Saguaro National Park and Tumacácori National Historical 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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