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Trip from Gilbert, 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

31m

Distance

22 mi

35 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 29m ★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

Gilbert, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

seat of Maricopa County, largest city in, and capital of, the State of Arizona, United States

Phoenix, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Gilbert to Phoenix covers a short 22-mile distance that typically takes about 31 minutes to complete. Because this journey is entirely local, you can easily handle the transit as a quick day trip, requiring no overnight stay. You should budget approximately $4 for fuel to cover the distance between these two Desert Southwest locations. Since the route relies exclusively on local roads rather than major highways, expect a more hands-on driving experience. This trip is straightforward and best suited for commuters or locals looking to navigate between the two cities without the complexity of a long-haul road trip.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Superstition Freeway 9.8 mi 11m
Maricopa Freeway 6.8 mi 7m
North Gilbert Road 2.1 mi 4m
South 7th Street 1.3 mi 2m
US 60 0.6 mi <1m
East Washington Street 0.5 mi 1m
North Elm Street 0.2 mi <1m
East Vaughn Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Superstition Freeway — 9.8 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Gilbert, AZ and Phoenix, 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

1.9 mi · 2 min · Maricopa Freeway
Toward I-17 North, US-60 West: Flagstaff Use the slight right lane.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Exit 195B Toward 7th Street, Central Avenue Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn straight onto East Maricopa Freeway

134 ft · 2 sec · East Maricopa Freeway
12

Turn right onto South 7th Street

1.3 mi · 2 min · South 7th Street
Use the straight lane.
13

Turn left onto East Washington Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · East Washington Street
Use the left lane.
14

Arrive at destination

West Washington Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 21.5 — 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
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
8
19.9 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward 7th Street, Central Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 195B Toward 7th Street, Central Avenue
6
21.5 mi into trip | ~29m in | East Washington Street

Turn left onto East Washington Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left 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.

Forecast as of Apr 13, 2026

Origin

Gilbert, AZ

Night in Gilbert on Saturday

Local time

10:57 PM

MST

Current temp

80°F

Partly Sunny

WSW 5 to 10 mph 11% chance Live forecast

Blowing Dust Advisory

Blowing Dust Advisory issued April 13 at 1:17PM MST until April 13 at 7:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 7:45PM MST until April 13 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ

Destination

Phoenix, AZ

Night in Phoenix on Saturday

Local time

10:57 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

13 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

31m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 keeps you engaged behind the wheel from start to finish. With a highway share of 0%, you will spend the entire 31 minutes navigating surface streets rather than cruising on an interstate. Your path involves traveling along North Elm Street, East Vaughn Avenue, and North Gilbert Road. Because the longest stretch is 0 miles on North Elm Street, you will find yourself making frequent adjustments and turns throughout the trip. This is a purely urban transit experience that demands your full attention as you transition through the local infrastructure.

78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.8 mi on Superstition Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Superstition Freeway and Maricopa Freeway. 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 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 22 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.

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 18 miles (US 60 / Maricopa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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.

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 31m. Total distance: 22 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

31m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9.8 miles on Superstition Freeway. 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 Phoenix, AZ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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 0.3 miles (East Vaughn Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 18 miles (US 60 / Maricopa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Phoenix, AZ to Gilbert, AZ

Plan the drive back the other way.

22.2 mi 32m

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