Green Valley to Yuma is 264.6 miles and takes about 4h 37m via Blue Star Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $55 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Arizona, traversing the Desert Southwest region. You'll predominantly be on surface roads, so expect a more relaxed pace than a pure interstate drive. With only one recommended stop and a drive time under five hours, this route is well-suited for a single-day excursion, giving you flexibility in your departure time.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
132.3 miles from Green Valley, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 20m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Blue Star Memorial Highway
118.9 mi
2h 2m
Phoenix Bypass Route
58.9 mi
58m
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.5 mi
55m
Nogales–Tucson Highway
23.3 mi
27m
South Freeway
5.4 mi
6m
Harold C Giss Parkway
1 mi
1m
West Continental Road
0.3 mi
<1m
South Calle de Las Casitas
0.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Blue Star Memorial Highway
— 118.9 mi, about 2h 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Green Valley, AZ and Yuma, 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
Take the exit
0.4 mi·35 sec
Exit 199Toward I 8 West: San Diego
12
Continue on I 8
59 mi·58 min·Phoenix Bypass Route
13
Continue on I 8
119 mi·2 hr 2 min·Blue Star Memorial Highway
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward Giss Parkway
15
Keep slight left at fork
189 ft·4 sec
16
Enter roundabout onto Harold C Giss Parkway
251 ft·4 sec·Harold C Giss Parkway
17
Continue on Harold C Giss Parkway
0.6 mi·1 min·Harold C Giss Parkway
18
Enter roundabout onto Harold C Giss Parkway
120 ft·2 sec·Harold C Giss Parkway
19
Continue on Harold C Giss Parkway
0.3 mi·36 sec·Harold C Giss Parkway
20
Turn right onto I 8 BUS; US 80 Hist
0.3 mi·35 sec·South 4th Avenue
21
Arrive at destination
I 8 BUS
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 37m duration, leaving Green Valley in the morning will comfortably get you to Yuma before dark, even with one planned stop. The $55 fuel estimate is a good baseline, but it’s always wise to top off your tank before starting, especially since you'll be on surface roads for much of the drive. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as services might be less frequent on the longer stretches. The Blue Star Memorial Highway will be your primary artery for over 118 miles, so familiarize yourself with its 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 132.3 miles from Green Valley, AZ, or about 2h 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 118.9 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 58 miles or 1h 6m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 132.3 miles or 2h 20m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 47m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Yuma, 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 264.6 miles and 4h 37m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 58 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 Blue Star Memorial Highway for about 118.9 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 34.1 — 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
5
25 mi into trip|~31m in|I 10 / South Freeway
Merge onto I 10 / South Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$46.89 one way
$93.78 round trip
$4.50/gal25.4 MPG avg93 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.82
$50.21
$100.42
premium
$5.04
$52.52
$105.05
diesel
$4.80
$49.96
$99.92
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$47
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$72–$97
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 92.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $28 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
79.4
0
$27.78
$12.70
Efficient EV
66.2
0
$23.15
$10.58
EV Truck/SUV
105.8
1
$37.04
$16.93
Gas CO2
93 kg
EV CO2
31 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Green Valley, AZ
Late night
in Green Valley on Sunday
Local time
1:15 AM
MST
Current temp
68°F
Partly Cloudy
SW 5 mph7% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 17 at 11:13PM PDT until July 18 at 1:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Destination
Yuma, AZ
Late night
in Yuma on Sunday
Local time
1:15 AM
MST
Current temp
83°F
Mostly Clear
ESE 0 to 5 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 17 at 11:13PM PDT until July 18 at 1:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
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
15 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
4h 37m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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.
Saguaro National Park
National Park
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...
13 mi from route
~33 min detour
$25
near mile 27.4
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...
16 mi from route
~39 min detour
Free
near mile 82.1
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?
This route has a highway share of 2, meaning you'll spend most of your time on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on a main road is 118.9 miles on the Blue Star Memorial Highway. You'll notice the transition from more developed areas to rural cruising as you progress. This profile suggests a drive with fewer abrupt changes and more consistent speeds for extended periods.
Only 2% 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: 118.9 mi on Blue Star Memorial 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 Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 12 significant decision points across 264.6 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 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.
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.
Yuma is the largest city and county seat of Yuma County, Arizona. It is in the southwest corner of the state, across the Colorado River from California and near two Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora.
Top landmarks
•Brown House — historic house in Yuma, Arizona, USA
•Masonic Temple — in Yuma, Arizona
•Gandolfo Theatre — former movie theater in Yuma, Arizona, United States
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 37m. Total distance: 264.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 118.9 miles on Blue Star Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 21 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.
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 Yuma, 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. There are 21 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Tumacácori National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.6 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.3 hours — manageable with a long break at Yuma, AZ, but most travelers stay overnight.
