Origin
El Mirage, AZ
Night in El Mirage on Saturday
Local time
9:34 PM
MST
Current temp
89°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from El Mirage, AZ to Phoenix, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
19.5 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
El Mirage, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Phoenix, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 19.5-mile drive from El Mirage to Phoenix, Arizona, is easily manageable in about 36 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily navigate Grand Avenue, West Thunderbird Road, and West Van Buren Street, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $4. Given its brevity and local road nature, this route is best suited for a single, straightforward trip rather than an overnight split. It offers a practical way to transition within the Desert Southwest region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Avenue | 17.6 mi | 31m |
| West Thunderbird Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Van Buren Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North El Mirage Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North 1st Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Adams Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Washington Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Grand Avenue
— 17.6 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between El Mirage, AZ and Phoenix, AZ.
1
Start on North El Mirage Road
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
North El Mirage Road
2
Turn left onto West Thunderbird Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Thunderbird Road
3
Turn right onto US 60
14 mi
·
24 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on Grand Avenue
3.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left / right / straight lanes.
5
Turn left onto US 80 Hist
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Van Buren Street
6
Turn slight right onto North 1st Avenue
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
North 1st Avenue
7
Turn left onto West Adams Street
0.1 mi
·
40 sec
·
West Adams Street
8
Turn right onto North 1st Street
408 ft
·
18 sec
·
North 1st Street
9
Turn right onto East Washington Street
453 ft
·
15 sec
·
East Washington Street
10
Arrive at destination
West Washington Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 19.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 60 / Grand Avenue
Turn right onto US 60 / Grand Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
3
18.6 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
US 80 Hist / West Van Buren Street
Turn left onto US 80 Hist / West Van Buren Street
Navigation decision point
4
19.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
West Adams Street
Turn left onto West Adams Street
Navigation decision point
5
19.3 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
North 1st Street
Turn right onto North 1st Street
Navigation decision point
4
19.4 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
East Washington Street
Turn right onto East Washington Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.88 one way
$7.77 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $4.11 | $8.22 |
| premium | $5.59 | $4.29 | $8.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.31 | $8.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.73 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Phoenix, AZ
Night in Phoenix on Saturday
Local time
9:34 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
4 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
36m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with a highway share of 0%. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 17.6 miles along Grand Avenue. This journey is characterized by its engagement with local thoroughfares rather than high-speed highway cruising. You'll likely experience frequent intersections and varying speed limits as you make your way through the urban and suburban landscape of the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.6 mi on Grand Avenue.
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 0.9 miles in near US 60 / Grand Avenue.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 36m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (US 60 / Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.6 miles (US 80 Hist / West Van Buren Street): Navigation decision point; at 19.1 miles (West Adams Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Phoenix, AZ
Full guide →Founded 1868
Phoenix is the capital of the state of Arizona, the most populous city in the American Southwest. Warm and sunny winter weather have ensured a thriving tourism industry, and the city has become the region's primary political, cultural, economic, and transportation center. Phoenix is extremely hot and dry in the summertime, so always have sunscreen with you! It had about 1,625,000 residents in 2021, and is the fifth largest city in the United States.
Top landmarks
- • Arizona State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Arizona
- • Phoenix Art Museum — art museum in Phoenix, Arizona
- • St. Mary's Basilica — Roman Catholic church in Phoenix, Arizona
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 36m. Total distance: 19.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.6 miles on Grand Avenue. 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 0.9 miles (US 60 / Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.6 miles (US 80 Hist / West Van Buren Street): Navigation decision point; at 19.1 miles (West Adams Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Phoenix, 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.
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