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Trip from Glendale, AZ to Quartzsite, AZ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 18m

Distance

128.6 mi

207 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$25

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 29 min
4 AM
2h 9m ★
6 AM
2h 19m
8 AM
2h 38m
10 AM
2h 25m
12 PM
2h 23m
3 PM
2h 26m
5 PM
2h 37m
8 PM
2h 13m

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

Best Time
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Download GPX
city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

Glendale, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States

Quartzsite, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Glendale, AZ to Quartzsite, AZ covers 128.6 miles and takes about 2h 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, Papago Freeway, Agua Fria Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 107.4 miles on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $24.93 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

64.3 miles from Glendale, AZ

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 12m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway 107.4 mi 1h 48m
Papago Freeway 8.2 mi 9m
Agua Fria Freeway 5.6 mi 6m
West Northern Avenue 3.7 mi 7m
Grand Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
West Main Street 0.7 mi 1m
Quartzsite Boulevard <0.1 mi <1m
Oldham Lane <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway — 107.4 mi, about 1h 48m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Glendale, AZ and Quartzsite, AZ.

1

Start on US 60

1.4 mi · 2 min · Grand Avenue
2

Turn left onto West Northern Avenue

3.7 mi · 7 min · West Northern Avenue
Use the left lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward AZ 101 Loop South Use the left lane.
4

Merge onto AZ 101 Loop

5.6 mi · 6 min · Agua Fria Freeway
Use the straight / left lanes.
5

Keep slight right at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 1A Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 10

8.2 mi · 9 min · Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on I 10

107 mi · 1 hr 48 min · Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Toward Quartzsite
9

Turn right onto I 10 BUS; US 95

277 ft · 4 sec · Quartzsite Boulevard
10

Turn right onto I 10 BUS; US 95

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Main Street
11

Turn right onto Oldham Lane

41 ft · 1 sec · Oldham Lane
12

Arrive at destination

Oldham Lane

Trip Plan

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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 64.3 miles from Glendale, AZ, or about 1h 12m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 107.4 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 28 miles or 35m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 64.3 miles or 1h 12m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 53m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Quartzsite, AZ than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Glendale, 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 Glendale, AZ

This is one driving day of about 128.6 miles and 2h 18m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 28 miles from Glendale, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway for about 107.4 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Buckeye, AZ

64 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

Goodyear, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 28 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Buckeye, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 64.3 miles from Glendale, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 107.4 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 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 11.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in | West Northern Avenue

Turn left onto West Northern Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
5.1 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the ramp toward AZ 101 Loop South

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward AZ 101 Loop South
5
5.6 mi into trip | ~10m in | AZ 101 Loop / Agua Fria Freeway

Merge onto AZ 101 Loop / Agua Fria Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
8
11.3 mi into trip | ~17m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 West: Los Angeles

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 1A Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
5
11.9 mi into trip | ~18m in | I 10 / Papago Freeway

Merge onto I 10 / Papago Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$24.93 one way

$49.85 round trip

$4.92/gal 25.4 MPG avg 45 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.20 $26.34 $52.68
premium $5.44 $27.53 $55.05
diesel $5.60 $28.35 $56.70

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$25

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$50–$75

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 45 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 38.6 0 $13.50 $6.17
Efficient EV 32.2 0 $11.25 $5.14
EV Truck/SUV 51.4 0 $18.00 $8.23

Gas CO2

45 kg

EV CO2

15 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.

Forecast as of Sep 2, 2026

Origin

Glendale, AZ

Late night in Glendale on Saturday

Local time

5:45 AM

MST

Current temp

82°F

Mostly Clear

WSW 0 to 5 mph 4% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued September 1 at 7:07PM MST until September 1 at 10:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ

Destination

Quartzsite, AZ

Late night in Quartzsite on Saturday

Local time

5:45 AM

MST

Current temp

80°F

Mostly Clear

SSW 10 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued September 1 at 7:07PM MST until September 1 at 10:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ

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

2 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 18m 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?

128.6 mi in 2h 18m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 107.4 mi on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

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 1.4 miles in near West Northern Avenue.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 128.6 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 1.4 miles (West Northern Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Agua Fria Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,476 ft 878 ft

Total Climb

785 ft

Total Descent

1,034 ft

Highest Point

1,476 ft

~110.2 mi in

Elevation Range

597 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Glendale, AZ

Full guide →

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

  • • Catlin Court Historic District — historic district in Glendale, Arizona, USA
  • • Floralcroft Historic District — historic district in Glendale. Arizona
  • • Glendale beet sugar factory

Arriving in Quartzsite, AZ

Full guide →

Founded 1989

Quartzsite is a former mining town in La Paz County, Arizona. In 2020, it hosted a permanent population of 2,400 people, but during the balmy winters from December to February the population explodes to well over 100,000 as RV campers descend in droves in recreational vehicles to camp on the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Lands surrounding the town. Quartzite is also well known for gem shows, which draw over a million visitors yearly.

Top landmarks

  • • Hi Jolly Monument — grave in Quartzsite, 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 2h 18m. Total distance: 128.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 107.4 miles on Pearl Harbor Memorial 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 Quartzsite, 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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (West Northern Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Agua Fria 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 Quartzsite, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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