Origin
Goodyear, AZ
Late night in Goodyear on Tuesday
Local time
1:54 AM
MST
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Goodyear, AZ to Scottsdale, AZ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
31.6 mi
51 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Goodyear, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Scottsdale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 31.6-mile drive from Goodyear to Scottsdale, Arizona, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 44 minutes. The route primarily utilizes the Papago Freeway and the Red Mountain Freeway, with a portion on East McDowell Road, making it a highway-focused journey. With an estimated fuel cost of $6, this short trip is budget-friendly and requires no overnight stops. You'll be traveling within the Desert Southwest region throughout, experiencing a consistent environment. Plan for a smooth, efficient commute that gets you to your destination with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Papago Freeway | 17.4 mi | 20m |
| East McDowell Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Red Mountain Freeway | 3 mi | 3m |
| North Scottsdale Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Hayden Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| South Litchfield Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Osborn Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| East Chaparral Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Papago Freeway
— 17.4 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Goodyear, AZ and Scottsdale, AZ.
1
Start on South Litchfield Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Litchfield Road
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Use the right lane.
3
Merge onto I 10
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
5
Continue on I 10
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
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.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
8
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 3
Toward AZ 143 South: Washington Street, McDowell Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward McDowell Road
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11
Merge onto AZ 143
478 ft
·
9 sec
·
Hohokam Expressway
12
Turn right onto East McDowell Road
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
East McDowell Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto North Scottsdale Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Scottsdale Road
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto East Osborn Road
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
East Osborn Road
Use the right lane.
15
Enter roundabout onto East Osborn Road
90 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Osborn Road
16
Continue on East Osborn Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Osborn Road
17
Turn left onto North Hayden Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Hayden Road
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto East Chaparral Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Chaparral Road
Use the right lane.
19
Turn right
64 ft
·
4 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 23 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
8
19.7 mi into trip
|
~24m 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
8
20.2 mi into trip
|
~25m 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
8
22.7 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward AZ 143 South: Washington Street, McDowell Road
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 3
Toward AZ 143 South: Washington Street, McDowel...
7
23 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward McDowell Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward McDowell Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.30 one way
$12.59 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.66 | $13.32 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.96 | $13.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.98 | $13.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.42 | $2.02 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Scottsdale, AZ
Late night in Scottsdale on Tuesday
Local time
1:54 AM
MST
Current temp
83°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
24 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
44m 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?
Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience, with 65% of the drive on freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 17.4 miles, primarily on the Papago Freeway. This suggests a consistent pace for a significant portion of your travel. While the specific road dynamics aren't detailed beyond the main roads, the profile indicates a focus on efficient travel rather than winding scenic byways. You'll likely experience straightforward driving conditions, ideal for making good time.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.4 mi on Papago Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Papago Freeway and East McDowell Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 15 decision points packed into just 31.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19.7 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.2 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Goodyear, AZ
Full guide →Founded 1946
Arriving in Scottsdale, AZ
Full guide →Founded 1894
Scottsdale is a city in the state of Arizona. Scottsdale is home to many galleries, high quality resorts, and golf courses. It is also one of the wealthier parts of the Phoenix Metro Area.
Top landmarks
- • Taliesin West — Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
- • Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art — art museum
- • Little Red Schoolhouse — now used as the Scottsdale Historical Museum, NRHP-listed
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 44m. Total distance: 31.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.4 miles on Papago 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 Scottsdale, 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 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19.7 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.2 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Scottsdale, 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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