Spanning 165.9 miles through the heart of the Desert Southwest, this journey from Green Valley to Surprise takes approximately 2 hours and 33 minutes. Because the trip is relatively short, it functions perfectly as a straightforward day trip, eliminating the need for an overnight stay. You can expect to spend roughly $32 on fuel, making it a budget-friendly option for your transit between these two Arizona hubs. Since the route avoids highways entirely, you will be navigating local roads like Calle del Tiempo, South Calle de Las Casitas, and West Continental Road. It is an ideal path if you prefer a quieter, more localized travel experience over the typical high-speed interstate commute.
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
82.9 miles from Green Valley, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 31m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.5 mi
55m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
38.1 mi
38m
Nogales–Tucson Highway
23.3 mi
27m
Papago Freeway
15 mi
17m
Maricopa Freeway
12 mi
13m
Agua Fria Freeway
8.8 mi
10m
South Freeway
5.4 mi
6m
Grand Avenue
4.7 mi
8m
Longest stretch:
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
— 54.5 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Green Valley, AZ and Surprise, AZ.
1
Start on Calle de la Temporada
75 ft·3 sec·Calle de la Temporada
2
Continue on Calle del Tiempo
375 ft·22 sec·Calle del Tiempo
3
Turn left onto South Calle de Las Casitas
0.3 mi·1 min·South Calle de Las Casitas
4
Turn left onto West Continental Road
0.3 mi·41 sec·West Continental Road
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·51 sec
Toward I 19 North: Tucson
6
Merge onto I 19
23 mi·27 min·Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi·49 sec
Toward I 10 West: Phoenix
8
Merge onto I 10
5.4 mi·6 min·South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
3.7 mi·4 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
51 mi·51 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 10
38 mi·38 min·Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 10
12 mi·13 min·Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi·2 min·Papago Freeway
Use the slight left lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
2.7 mi·3 min·Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi·36 sec·Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
16
Continue on I 10
10 mi·12 min·Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.9 mi·1 min
Exit 133BToward AZ 101 Loop NorthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on AZ 101 Loop
8.8 mi·10 min·Agua Fria Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi·36 sec
Exit 11Toward US 60Use the slight right lane.
20
Turn left onto US 60
4.7 mi·8 min·Grand Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
21
Turn right onto West Greenway Road
212 ft·10 sec·West Greenway Road
Use the right lane.
22
Turn left onto Santa Fe Drive
0.3 mi·32 sec·Santa Fe Drive
Use the left lane.
23
Turn right onto North Nash Street
0.3 mi·50 sec·North Nash Street
24
Arrive at destination
North Nash Street
Trip Plan
Given the turn-heavy nature of this 2-hour and 33-minute drive, plan to depart early to ensure you have plenty of daylight for navigating local roads. Since you only have one planned stop along the way, keep a close eye on your fuel gauge to ensure you stay within your $32 budget. Flexibility is your biggest advantage here, as the lack of highway segments allows you to adjust your pace easily if traffic conditions change. A concrete tip for this specific route is to stay vigilant with your GPS, as the reliance on local roads like West Continental Road means you will be making frequent turns rather than following a single straight highway path.
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 82.9 miles from Green Valley, AZ, or about 1h 31m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 54.5 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 36 miles or 43m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 82.9 miles or 1h 31m 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 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Surprise, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Green Valley, 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 Green Valley, AZ
This is one driving day of about 165.8 miles and 3h 5m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 36 miles from Green Valley, 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 54.5 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 34.1 and 165.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
34.1 mi into trip|~41m in|I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
135 mi into trip|~2h 25m in|I 10 / Papago Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 / Papago Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
7
150.5 mi into trip|~2h 43m in
Take the exit toward AZ 101 Loop North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 133B
Toward AZ 101 Loop North
7
160.2 mi into trip|~2h 55m in
Take the exit toward US 60
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 11
Toward US 60
7
165.3 mi into trip|~3h 4m in|Santa Fe Drive
Turn left onto Santa Fe Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$33.03 one way
$66.06 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg58 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$34.96
$69.91
premium
$5.59
$36.50
$72.99
diesel
$5.61
$36.61
$73.21
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$33
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$58–$83
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 58 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $17 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
49.7
0
$17.41
$7.96
Efficient EV
41.5
0
$14.51
$6.63
EV Truck/SUV
66.3
0
$23.21
$10.61
Gas CO2
58 kg
EV CO2
19 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 Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Green Valley, AZ
Late night
in Green Valley on Sunday
Local time
1:02 AM
MST
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Surprise, AZ
Late night
in Surprise on Sunday
Local time
1:02 AM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Unavailable
Live 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
38 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
3h 5m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
National Monument
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
~28 min detour
Free
near mile 91.5
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 22.9
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...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this route features a 0% highway share, placing you firmly on neighborhood and local arterial roads for the duration of your 165.9-mile trip. With 0 miles of uninterrupted stretches on Calle del Tiempo, the road requires constant engagement and frequent navigation of turns. The personality of this drive is distinctly technical, favoring a slower pace through the desert landscape rather than high-speed cruising. You will feel the transition as you move away from the quiet desert setting of Green Valley toward your destination in Surprise.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 54.5 mi on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 34.1 miles in near I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 165.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 34.1 miles (I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 135 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 150.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Green Valley is a small city in South Central Arizona. Along with the neighboring town of Sahuarita, it is known primarily as a retirement community and as the home of a Titan missile silo.
Sun City is a suburb 20 miles (30km) northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was built as a planned retirement community in Maricopa County in the 1960s. An adjacent retirement community Sun City West was built in the late 1970s; there is also a Sun City Grand. Directly northwest of the three "Sun City" suburbs is Surprise, Arizona.
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 5m. Total distance: 165.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 54.5 miles on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Surprise, 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. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 34.1 miles (I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 135 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 150.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Saguaro National Park and Tumacácori National Historical 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 Surprise, AZ, but most travelers stay overnight.
