Origin
Fountain Hills, AZ
Late night in Fountain Hills on Sunday
Local time
12:51 AM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fountain Hills, AZ to Tempe, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
22 mi
35 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 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fountain Hills, AZ
Brent Singleton
Tempe, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Stretching just 22 miles, this quick trip from Fountain Hills to Tempe is an ideal day outing for those navigating the Desert Southwest. You can expect to spend about 32 minutes behind the wheel, making it a very manageable journey that doesn't require an overnight stay. With a fuel budget of approximately $4, it is a highly economical route for your travel planning. You will primarily utilize North Saguaro Boulevard, the Beeline Highway, and East McKellips Road to reach your destination. Because the entire drive takes place within the same region, you won't experience major shifts in landscape, keeping the travel time consistent and straightforward.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Beeline Highway | 10.9 mi | 12m |
| North Saguaro Boulevard | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| East McKellips Road | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| North McClintock Drive | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| East McDowell Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Alma School Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Shea Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Hamilton Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Beeline Highway
— 10.9 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fountain Hills, AZ and Tempe, AZ.
1
Start on North Hamilton Drive
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Hamilton Drive
2
At end of road, turn right onto North Saguaro Boulevard
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Saguaro Boulevard
3
Turn left onto East Shea Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Shea Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto AZ 87
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Beeline Highway
Use the right lane.
5
Turn right onto East McDowell Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East McDowell Road
6
Turn left onto North Alma School Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Alma School Road
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto East McKellips Road
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
East McKellips Road
8
Turn left onto North McClintock Drive
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
North McClintock Drive
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto US 80 Hist
60 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Apache Boulevard
Use the right lane.
10
Arrive at destination
US 80 Hist
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 22 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Saguaro Boulevard
At end of road, turn right onto North Saguaro Boulevard
Navigation decision point
6
4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
AZ 87 / Beeline Highway
Turn right onto AZ 87 / Beeline Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
15.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
North Alma School Road
Turn left onto North Alma School Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
19.5 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
North McClintock Drive
Turn left onto North McClintock Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
22 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
US 80 Hist / East Apache Boulevard
Turn right onto US 80 Hist / East Apache Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.38 one way
$8.77 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $4.64 | $9.28 |
| premium | $5.59 | $4.84 | $9.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.86 | $9.71 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.08 | $1.41 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Tempe, AZ
Late night in Tempe on Sunday
Local time
12:51 AM
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
5 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
32m 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 full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. Since this route features 0% highway share, you will be navigating surface streets for the entirety of the 22-mile distance. The longest uninterrupted section you will encounter is a 10.9-mile stretch along the Beeline Highway. As you transition between the local roads, the pace remains steady but requires frequent adjustments due to the nature of the turns. It is a practical, functional drive that avoids the high-speed isolation of major interstates in favor of direct local connectivity.
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: 10.9 mi on Beeline 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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near North Saguaro Boulevard.
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 22 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.2 miles (North Saguaro Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles (AZ 87 / Beeline Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.8 miles (North Alma School Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 22 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.9 miles on Beeline 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 0.2 miles (North Saguaro Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles (AZ 87 / Beeline Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.8 miles (North Alma School Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Tempe, 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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