Origin
Fountain Hills, AZ
Evening in Fountain Hills on Saturday
Local time
7:52 PM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fountain Hills, AZ to Scottsdale, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
17.7 mi
28 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fountain Hills, AZ
Brent Singleton
Scottsdale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel between Fountain Hills and Scottsdale, you are looking at a quick 17.7-mile journey that typically takes about 29 minutes to complete. This trip is perfectly suited as a simple day excursion, requiring only one day to navigate the connections between these two Desert Southwest locales. You will primarily utilize North Fountain Hills Boulevard, East Shea Boulevard, and the Pima Freeway to get from point A to point B. With a fuel budget of approximately $4, it is a very economical trip that fits easily into any schedule. Since both the origin and destination are located in the Desert Southwest, you can expect a consistent climate and environment throughout the entire drive.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Shea Boulevard | 8.8 mi | 13m |
| Pima Freeway | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| North Fountain Hills Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Chaparral Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East La Montana Drive | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North La Montana Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North la Montana Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Hamilton Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East Shea Boulevard
— 8.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fountain Hills, AZ and Scottsdale, AZ.
1
Start on North Hamilton Drive
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
North Hamilton Drive
2
Turn right onto East La Montana Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East La Montana Drive
3
Enter roundabout onto North la Montana Drive
125 ft
·
4 sec
·
North la Montana Drive
4
Continue on North la Montana Drive
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
North la Montana Drive
5
Continue on North La Montana Drive
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
North La Montana Drive
6
At end of road, turn right onto East Arroyo Vista Drive
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
East Arroyo Vista Drive
7
At end of road, turn left onto North Fountain Hills Boulevard
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Fountain Hills Boulevard
8
Turn right onto East Shea Boulevard
8.8 mi
·
13 min
·
East Shea Boulevard
Use the right lane.
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop South
Use the left lane.
10
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Pima Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Exit 46
Toward Chaparral Road
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn right onto East Chaparral Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Chaparral Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13
Turn left
64 ft
·
4 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 16.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
East Arroyo Vista Drive
At end of road, turn right onto East Arroyo Vista Drive
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
2.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
East Shea Boulevard
Turn right onto East Shea Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
11.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the ramp toward AZ 101 Loop South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward AZ 101 Loop South
5
12 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
16.7 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward Chaparral Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46
Toward Chaparral Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.53 one way
$7.05 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $3.73 | $7.46 |
| premium | $5.59 | $3.90 | $7.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.91 | $7.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.55 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Scottsdale, AZ
Evening in Scottsdale on Saturday
Local time
7:52 PM
MST
Current temp
92°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
29m 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 that demands your attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. While 27% of your travel occurs on highways, the remainder of the route navigates through local streets that change the pace of your journey. You will spend your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 8.8 miles along East Shea Boulevard, which serves as a major artery for this transition. Because the route relies heavily on local roads, you should prepare for frequent turns and varied traffic patterns. It is a practical, functional drive that gets you across the region efficiently without any necessary stops.
Only 27% 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: 8.8 mi on East Shea Boulevard.
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 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near East Arroyo Vista Drive.
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 17.7 miles you will encounter 11 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 1.2 miles (East Arroyo Vista Drive): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.9 miles (East Shea Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,903 ft
1,259 ft
Total Climb
296 ft
Total Descent
644 ft
Highest Point
1,903 ft
~3.7 mi in
Elevation Range
644 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Scottsdale, AZ
Full guide →Scottsdale is a city in the state of Arizona. Scottsdale is home to many galleries, high quality resorts, and golf courses. It is also one of the wealthier parts of the Phoenix Metro Area.
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 29m. Total distance: 17.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (27%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.8 miles on East Shea Boulevard. 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 1.2 miles (East Arroyo Vista Drive): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.9 miles (East Shea Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Scottsdale, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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