Glendale, AZ to Tubac, AZ is 167.8 miles and takes about 3h 6m via Casa Grande-Tucson Highway and Nogales–Tucson Highway, with a fuel budget near $32 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Arizona, moving through the Desert Southwest region. Expect a drive that's primarily on surface roads, offering a more grounded perspective of the landscape. It's a straightforward, single-day excursion ideal for those looking for a direct route without extensive highway time.
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
83.9 miles from Glendale, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 33m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.6 mi
55m
Nogales–Tucson Highway
41.3 mi
45m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
37.8 mi
38m
Maricopa Freeway
16.3 mi
18m
Grand Avenue
5.9 mi
10m
North Freeway
5.4 mi
6m
Black Canyon Freeway
3.5 mi
4m
US 60
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
— 54.6 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Glendale, AZ and Tubac, 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
Take the exit onto US 60
0.5 mi·1 min·US 60
Toward 27th Avenue
4
Turn left onto US 60
0.2 mi·26 sec·West Thomas Road
Use the left / slight left lanes.
5
Turn right onto US 60
0.3 mi·28 sec·North Black Canyon Highway
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi·24 sec
Toward I 17 South
7
Merge onto I 17; US 60
3.5 mi·4 min·Black Canyon Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 17; US 60
16 mi·18 min·Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
38 mi·38 min·Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 10
55 mi·55 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 10
5.4 mi·6 min·North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.5 mi·37 sec
Exit 260Toward I 19 South: NogalesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 19
41 mi·45 min·Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi·44 sec
Toward Tubac
15
Turn left
0.2 mi·31 sec
16
Turn left onto East Frontage Road
0.4 mi·1 min·East Frontage Road
17
Turn right onto Plaza Road
0.2 mi·57 sec·Plaza Road
18
At end of road, turn right onto Burruel Street
187 ft·13 sec·Burruel Street
19
Turn left onto Calle Iglesia
0.1 mi·33 sec·Calle Iglesia
20
Turn left onto Luger Lane
65 ft·2 sec·Luger Lane
21
Arrive at destination
Luger Lane
Trip Plan
Given the 3h 6m duration, leaving Glendale in the morning allows ample time to reach Tubac before evening. With only one recommended stop and mostly surface roads, you have flexibility in pacing. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially since the estimated cost is $32, and plan your fill-up before the longest stretch of 54.6 miles on the Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. Since this is a single-day trip, you can easily adjust your departure time based on your morning's activities in Glendale.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 83.9 miles from Glendale, AZ, or about 1h 33m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 54.6 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 37 miles or 46m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 83.9 miles or 1h 33m 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 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Tubac, 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 167.8 miles and 3h 6m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 37 miles from Glendale, 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 Casa Grande-Tucson Highway for about 54.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 6.4 and 124.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
6.4 mi into trip|~11m in|US 60 / West Thomas Road
Turn left onto US 60 / West Thomas Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / slight left lanes.
5
6.6 mi into trip|~12m in|US 60 / North Black Canyon Highway
Turn right onto US 60 / North Black Canyon Highway
Navigation decision point
5
6.9 mi into trip|~12m in
Take the exit toward I 17 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 17 South
5
7 mi into trip|~12m in|I 17; US 60 / Black Canyon Freeway
Merge onto I 17; US 60 / Black Canyon Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
124.8 mi into trip|~2h 16m in
Take the exit toward I 19 South: Nogales
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 260
Toward I 19 South: Nogales
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$34.21 one way
$68.43 round trip
$5.18/gal25.4 MPG avg59 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.48
$36.23
$72.46
premium
$5.74
$37.89
$75.77
diesel
$6.18
$40.82
$81.64
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$34
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$59–$84
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 58.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $18 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
50.3
0
$17.62
$8.05
Efficient EV
42
0
$14.68
$6.71
EV Truck/SUV
67.1
0
$23.49
$10.74
Gas CO2
59 kg
EV CO2
20 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.
Forecast as of Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Glendale, AZ
Morning
in Glendale on Tuesday
Local time
6:01 AM
MST
Current temp
69°F
Mostly Clear
NNE 0 to 5 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Tubac, AZ
Morning
in Tubac on Tuesday
Local time
6:01 AM
MST
Current temp
59°F
Partly Cloudy
SSE 5 mph11% chanceLive 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
10 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
3h 6m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Tumacácori sits at a cultural crossroads in the Santa Cruz River valley. Here O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met and mingled with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers...
An Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether a gathering place for people or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of...
11 mi from route
~27 min detour
Free
near mile 57.9
Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are pr...
14 mi from route
~34 min detour
$25
near mile 127.3
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive features a highway share of only 15%, meaning most of your time will be spent on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on a main road is 54.6 miles on the Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. You'll transition from highway driving to more local routes, which means you can expect more frequent intersections and changes in speed limits as you pass through towns. This profile suggests a driving experience with less high-speed cruising and more engagement with the immediate surroundings.
Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 54.6 mi on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 6.4 miles in near US 60 / West Thomas Road.
Driving Effort5/10
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 167.8 miles you will encounter 14 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 6.4 miles (US 60 / West Thomas Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.6 miles (US 60 / North Black Canyon Highway): Navigation decision point; at 6.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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
Tubac is a small town in South Central Arizona. In the mid-20th century an art school was established here, and today it is known primarily as an artists' colony, drawing visitors to its many art galleries as well as to the nearby Spanish missions.
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 6m. Total distance: 167.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (15%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 54.6 miles on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 16 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 6.4 miles (US 60 / West Thomas Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.6 miles (US 60 / North Black Canyon Highway): Navigation decision point; at 6.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes — Tumacácori National Historical Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Saguaro National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.1 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.2 hours — manageable with a long break at Tubac, AZ, but most travelers stay overnight.
