Origin
Glendale, AZ
Night in Glendale on Saturday
Local time
9:14 PM
MST
Current temp
92°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Glendale, AZ to Mesa, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
27 mi
43 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Glendale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Mesa, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 27.3-mile drive from Glendale to Mesa, Arizona, is a quick 35-minute trip perfect for a single day. With a modest fuel cost of around $5, it's an easy addition to any itinerary within the Desert Southwest. The route primarily uses local roads, so expect a more engaging, turn-heavy experience rather than a straightforward highway cruise. Given its short distance and duration, this trip is best tackled in one go, offering flexibility for when you depart. It's a straightforward journey connecting two areas within the same state, making it a simple transit.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Red Mountain Freeway | 11.7 mi | 13m |
| Grand Avenue | 7.8 mi | 13m |
| Papago Freeway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| West University Drive | 2 mi | 3m |
| North Alma School Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North 19th Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East University Drive | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Red Mountain Freeway
— 11.7 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Glendale, AZ and Mesa, AZ.
1
Start on US 60
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Grand Avenue
2
Continue on US 60
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on Grand Avenue
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Grand Avenue
4
Turn right onto North 19th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
North 19th Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 10
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
8
Continue on I 10
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147
Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
11
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
11 mi
·
13 min
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Exit 11
Toward Alma School Road
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn right onto North Alma School Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
North Alma School Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto West University Drive
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
West University Drive
Use the left lane.
15
Arrive at destination
East University Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 8.1 and 23 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
8.1 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 East: Tucson
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
8
11.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 147
Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
6
11.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
8
11.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
7
23 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward Alma School Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 11
Toward Alma School Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.38 one way
$10.76 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $5.69 | $11.38 |
| premium | $5.59 | $5.94 | $11.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.96 | $11.92 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.30 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.78 | $1.73 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Mesa, AZ
Night in Mesa on Saturday
Local time
9:14 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
1 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
40m 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?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive as you navigate from Glendale to Mesa. With a 0% highway share, you'll be spending the entire 35 minutes on surface streets, including Grand Avenue and North 19th Avenue, before merging onto I-10 East for a portion of the trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch is not specified, but the 'turn-heavy' profile suggests frequent intersections and traffic lights. This isn't a route for settling into a highway rhythm; rather, it requires your attention as you weave through urban and suburban landscapes.
52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.7 mi on Red Mountain Freeway.
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 8.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 27 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
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.
About the Cities
Arriving in Mesa, AZ
Full guide →Mesa, population 518,000 (2019), is in Maricopa County. It is Arizona's third-largest city, and is part of the Greater Phoenix urban complex.
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 40m. Total distance: 27 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.7 miles on Red Mountain 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 Mesa, 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 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.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Mesa, 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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