Origin
Gilbert, AZ
Afternoon in Gilbert on Saturday
Local time
4:45 PM
MST
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gilbert, AZ to Mountainaire, AZ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 25, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 54m
Distance
159.4 mi
257 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$32
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 44m
★
6 AM
2h 55m
8 AM
3h 17m
10 AM
3h 2m
12 PM
3h 0m
3 PM
3h 4m
5 PM
3h 16m
8 PM
2h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gilbert, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Mountainaire, AZ
Mark Direen
Trip Overview
Gilbert, AZ to Mountainaire, AZ is 159 miles and takes about 2 hours 54 minutes via Arizona Veterans Highway, Black Canyon Freeway, and Superstition Freeway, with a fuel budget near $32 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Arizona's Desert Southwest region, offering a straightforward drive. Given its relatively short duration, it's well-suited for a same-day trip, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination. It's a practical option for those looking to travel between these two points without a significant time commitment.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
79.7 miles from Gilbert, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 31m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Veterans Highway | 85 mi | 1h 25m |
| Black Canyon Freeway | 41.3 mi | 45m |
| Superstition Freeway | 9.8 mi | 11m |
| Maricopa Freeway | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| Phoenix–Cordes Junction Highway | 8.9 mi | 9m |
| North Gilbert Road | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| Mountainaire Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| US 60 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Arizona Veterans Highway
— 85 mi, about 1h 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gilbert, AZ and Mountainaire, AZ.
1
Start on this road
203 ft
·
20 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Elm Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
North Elm Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto East Vaughn Avenue
440 ft
·
23 sec
·
East Vaughn Avenue
4
Turn right onto North Gilbert Road
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
North Gilbert Road
5
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward US 60 West: Phoenix
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto US 60
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Superstition Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 60
0.6 mi
·
38 sec
·
US 60
Toward I 10 North
8
Merge onto I 10; US 60
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 60
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Maricopa Freeway
Toward I-17 North, US-60 West: Flagstaff
Use the slight right lane.
10
Continue on I 17; US 60
41 mi
·
45 min
·
Black Canyon Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 17
8.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Phoenix–Cordes Junction Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 17
13 mi
·
13 min
·
Arizona Veterans Highway
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 17
72 mi
·
1 hr 11 min
·
Arizona Veterans Highway
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward Kachina Boulevard
15
Turn right onto Mountainaire Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Mountainaire Road
16
Continue on Tonowanda
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Tonowanda
17
Turn left onto West Osage
352 ft
·
17 sec
·
West Osage
18
Turn right onto North Shoshone Street
119 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Shoshone Street
19
Arrive at destination
North Shoshone Street
Trip Plan
For this 2 hour 54 minute drive, departing in the morning gives you plenty of daylight. With only 159 miles, you can easily complete this trip in one day, so there's no need to rush or split it up. The longest stretch of highway is 85 miles, so plan a brief stop before or after that segment if you prefer to break up the driving. Keep an eye on fuel, as the estimated cost is $32; it's always wise to top off before heading out, especially since highway fuel availability can vary.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 79.7 miles from Gilbert, AZ, or about 1h 31m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 85 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 35 miles or 43m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 79.7 miles or 1h 31m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Mountainaire, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Gilbert, AZ so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Gilbert, AZ
This is one driving day of about 159.4 miles and 2h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 35 miles from Gilbert, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Arizona Veterans Highway for about 85 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
80 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 79.7 miles from Gilbert, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Arizona Veterans Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 85 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 18 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East Vaughn Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto East Vaughn Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
7
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Turn left toward US 60 West: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward US 60 West: Phoenix
5
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
US 60 / Superstition Freeway
Merge onto US 60 / Superstition Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
12.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
US 60
Keep slight left at fork onto US 60 toward I 10 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 10 North
8
18 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
US 60 / Maricopa Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 60 / Maricopa Freeway toward I-17 North, US-60 West: Flagstaff
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I-17 North, US-60 West: Flagstaff
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$31.59 one way
$63.17 round trip
$5.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
56 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.33 | $33.47 | $66.95 |
| premium | $5.56 | $34.89 | $69.78 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $33.91 | $67.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 55.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $17 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 47.8 | 0 | $16.74 | $7.65 |
| Efficient EV | 39.9 | 0 | $13.95 | $6.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 63.8 | 0 | $22.32 | $10.20 |
Gas CO2
56 kg
EV CO2
19 kg (66% 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
Mountainaire, AZ
Afternoon in Mountainaire on Saturday
Local time
4:45 PM
MST
Current temp
32°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
30 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
2h 54m 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?
You'll spend about 38% of this 159-mile trip on major highways. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 85 miles, primarily on the Arizona Veterans Highway. Expect a mix of freeway driving and surface roads, so pay attention to the transition points. The urban merging and dense exits common to freeways will eventually give way to more rural cruising.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 85 mi on Arizona Veterans Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near East Vaughn Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 159.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (East Vaughn Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (US 60 / Superstition Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Gilbert, AZ
Full guide →Gilbert is in the southeast valley of the Greater Phoenix region of Arizona. With a population of 270,000 (2021 est.) it is the largest town in the US. people. Once a railway town and the "Hay Capital of the World", Gilbert is now a diverse suburban center, retaining its agricultural and railroad history and celebrating its "small town" feel.
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 2h 54m. Total distance: 159.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 85 miles on Arizona Veterans Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Mountainaire, AZ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (East Vaughn Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (US 60 / Superstition Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Mountainaire, 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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