Origin
Green Valley, AZ
Late night in Green Valley on Tuesday
Local time
3:51 AM
MST
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Green Valley, AZ to Tortolita, 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
56m
Distance
41.5 mi
67 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Green Valley, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Tortolita, AZ
Abhishek Navlakha
Trip Overview
Green Valley, AZ to Tortolita, AZ is 41.5 miles and takes about 56 minutes via Nogales–Tucson Highway and North La Cholla Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Desert Southwest region, connecting two points in Arizona. Given its duration, this trip is ideal for a same-day excursion, offering a straightforward connection between the two locations. You'll mostly be on surface roads, making it a relaxed drive for anyone looking to get from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nogales–Tucson Highway | 23.3 mi | 27m |
| North La Cholla Boulevard | 8 mi | 13m |
| South Freeway | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Casa Grande-Tucson Highway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| West Ruthrauff Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Continental Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Calle de Las Casitas | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West Naranja Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Nogales–Tucson Highway
— 23.3 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Green Valley, AZ and Tortolita, 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
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 252
Toward El Camino Del Cerro, Ruthrauff Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto North Casa Grande Highway
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
North Casa Grande Highway
12
Turn sharp right onto West Ruthrauff Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ruthrauff Road
13
Turn left onto North La Cholla Boulevard
8.0 mi
·
13 min
·
North La Cholla Boulevard
Use the left / uturn lanes.
14
Turn left onto West Naranja Drive
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
West Naranja Drive
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto North Gemini Drive
226 ft
·
14 sec
·
North Gemini Drive
16
Turn left
30 ft
·
1 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 41.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.7 miles from Green Valley, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 41.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Calle de Las Casitas
Turn left onto South Calle de Las Casitas
Navigation decision point
5
1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway
Merge onto I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
24.4 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 West: Phoenix
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 10 West: Phoenix
8
31.8 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward El Camino Del Cerro, Ruthrauff 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 252
Toward El Camino Del Cerro, Ruthrauff Road
6
41.2 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
West Naranja Drive
Turn left onto West Naranja Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.27 one way
$16.53 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $8.75 | $17.50 |
| premium | $5.59 | $9.13 | $18.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.16 | $18.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.36 | $1.99 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.6 | 0 | $5.81 | $2.66 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Tortolita, AZ
Late night in Tortolita on Tuesday
Local time
3:51 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
2 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
56m 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?
This route is predominantly surface roads, with only 13% of the drive on highways. The longest continuous stretch on a main road is 23.3 miles on the Nogales–Tucson Highway. You'll transition from highway driving to surface streets for the majority of your trip, so expect more frequent intersections as you approach your destination. This means you'll likely experience more stop-and-go traffic than on a pure freeway journey.
Only 13% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.3 mi on Nogales–Tucson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.1 miles in near South Calle de Las Casitas.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 41.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Calle de Las Casitas): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Green Valley, AZ to Tortolita, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward El Camino Del Cerro along the way.
El Camino Del Cerro
31.8 mi in
|
~39m
About the Cities
Starting in Green Valley, AZ
Full guide →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.
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 56m. Total distance: 41.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.3 miles on Nogales–Tucson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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.
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 Tortolita, 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 0.1 miles (South Calle de Las Casitas): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes — Saguaro National Park and Tumacácori National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Tortolita, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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