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Trip from Maricopa, AZ to Scottsdale, AZ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

49m

Distance

37.3 mi

60 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 47m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in the Gila River Valley in Pinal County, Arizona, United States

Maricopa, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

Scottsdale, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Maricopa, AZ to Scottsdale, AZ is 37.3 miles and takes about 49 minutes via Maricopa Road and the Price Freeway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip primarily within the Desert Southwest region of Arizona. Expect a mixed drive experience as you transition from local roads to a major freeway. Given its short duration, this route is easily manageable, allowing for flexibility in your departure time and ample opportunity to enjoy your destination without feeling rushed.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Maricopa Road 11.8 mi 13m
Price Freeway 9.1 mi 10m
West Queen Creek Road 5.3 mi 7m
Pima Freeway 4.9 mi 5m
South Price Road 2.4 mi 4m
North John Wayne Parkway 2.3 mi 4m
East Chaparral Road 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Maricopa Road — 11.8 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Maricopa, AZ and Scottsdale, AZ.

1

Start on AZ 347

124 ft · 3 sec · North John Wayne Parkway
2

Continue on AZ 347

2.2 mi · 4 min · North John Wayne Parkway
Use the left lane.
3

Continue on AZ 347

12 mi · 13 min · Maricopa Road
4

Continue on AZ 347

5.3 mi · 7 min · West Queen Creek Road
5

Turn left onto South Price Road

2.4 mi · 4 min · South Price Road
Use the left lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 32 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop North
7

Merge onto AZ 101 Loop

9.1 mi · 10 min · Price Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on AZ 101 Loop

4.9 mi · 5 min · Pima Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Exit 46 Toward Chaparral Road Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn left onto East Chaparral Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Chaparral Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
11

Turn left

64 ft · 4 sec
12

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Chandler, AZ

19 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.

Popular next leg

Chandler, AZ to Scottsdale, AZ

18.1 mi · 25m

Pacing Suggestions

Tempe, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 37 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Sun Lakes, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.6 miles from Maricopa, 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 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 19.4 and 36.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
19.4 mi into trip | ~26m in | South Price Road

Turn left onto South Price Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
3
21.7 mi into trip | ~30m in

Take the ramp toward AZ 101 Loop North

Navigation decision point

Toward AZ 101 Loop North
5
22.2 mi into trip | ~31m in | AZ 101 Loop / Price Freeway

Merge onto AZ 101 Loop / Price Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
36.2 mi into trip | ~47m in

Take the exit toward Chaparral Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 46 Toward Chaparral Road
4
36.6 mi into trip | ~48m in | East Chaparral Road

Turn left onto East Chaparral Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.43 one way

$14.86 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.36 $7.86 $15.73
premium $5.59 $8.21 $16.42
diesel $5.61 $8.24 $16.47

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.2 0 $3.92 $1.79
Efficient EV 9.3 0 $3.26 $1.49
EV Truck/SUV 14.9 0 $5.22 $2.39

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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 21, 2026

Origin

Maricopa, AZ

Late night in Maricopa on Tuesday

Local time

2:03 AM

MST

Current temp

85°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Scottsdale, AZ

Late night in Scottsdale on Tuesday

Local time

2:03 AM

MST

Current temp

62°F

Partly Cloudy

W 0 to 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 20 at 10:32AM PDT until April 21 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

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

23 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

49m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route offers a mixed drive, with 44% of it being highway. You'll start on Maricopa Road, which can feel like a local thoroughfare, for its longest uninterrupted stretch of 11.8 miles. As you continue, you'll merge onto the Price Freeway, a more typical interstate experience. The transition from the more rural feel of Maricopa Road to the faster pace of the freeway defines the character of this journey, preparing you for the urban environment of Scottsdale.

44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.8 mi on Maricopa Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 19.4 miles in near South Price Road.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 49m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 19.4 miles (South Price Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 22.2 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Price Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Maricopa, AZ

Full guide →

Founded 2003

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 49m. Total distance: 37.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

49m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (44%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 11.8 miles on Maricopa Road. 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.

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 19.4 miles (South Price Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 22.2 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Price Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore more options from Maricopa, AZ or browse trips ending in Scottsdale, AZ.

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