Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
40.3 mi
65 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Glendale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Fountain Hills, AZ
Brent Singleton
The drive from Glendale, AZ to Fountain Hills, AZ covers 40.3 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Red Mountain Freeway, Grand Avenue, Beeline Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.9 miles on Red Mountain Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.81 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Red Mountain Freeway | 12.9 mi | 15m |
| Grand Avenue | 7.8 mi | 13m |
| Beeline Highway | 6.7 mi | 7m |
| North Beeline Highway | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| North Saguaro Boulevard | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Papago Freeway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| East Shea Boulevard | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| North Country Club Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Glendale, AZ and Fountain Hills, AZ.
Start on US 60
Continue on US 60
Continue on Grand Avenue
Turn right onto North 19th Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 10
Continue on I 10
Continue on I 10
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
Take the exit
Turn left onto AZ 87
Continue on AZ 87
Continue on AZ 87
Turn left onto East Shea Boulevard
Turn right onto North Saguaro Boulevard
Turn left onto East La Montana Drive
Turn right onto North Hamilton Drive
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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.
A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from Glendale, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 8.1 and 24.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 10 East: Tucson
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Payson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$7.81 one way
$15.62 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.20 | $8.25 | $16.51 |
| premium | $5.44 | $8.63 | $17.25 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $8.88 | $17.77 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.93 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.64 | $2.58 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Glendale on Thursday
Local time
3:06 PM
MST
Current temp
79°F
Mostly Clear
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued August 31 at 10:26PM MST until September 1 at 5:15AM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ
Destination
Afternoon in Fountain Hills on Thursday
Local time
3:06 PM
MST
Current temp
76°F
Clear
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued August 31 at 10:26PM MST until September 1 at 5:15AM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
40.3 mi in 56m — 38% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Red Mountain Freeway.
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 8.1 miles in.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 40.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.5 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
546 ft
Total Descent
67 ft
Highest Point
1,608 ft
~40.3 mi in
Elevation Range
504 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Glendale, AZ to Fountain Hills, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Payson along the way.
Payson
Founded 1887
Glendale is one of the largest suburbs in the metropolitan Phoenix area, and is rapidly growing as a media/entertainment center in the Valley of the Sun. It was home to over 250,000 people in 2019.
Top landmarks
Founded 1989
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 40.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
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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