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Trip from Maryvale, AZ to Fountain Hills, AZ

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

53m

Distance

39.5 mi

64 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 49m ★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 51m

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

urban village in Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Maryvale, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Fountain Hills, AZ, AZ

Fountain Hills, AZ

Brent Singleton

Trip Overview

Embark on a short, straightforward journey from Maryvale, AZ to Fountain Hills, AZ, covering 39.5 miles and taking approximately 53 minutes. This drive is perfectly suited for a single day, requiring no overnight stays. You'll primarily navigate the Red Mountain Freeway, Beeline Highway, and Papago Freeway, with about half of the trip on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this Desert Southwest excursion is around $8. This route offers a practical and efficient way to travel between these two Arizona locales without much fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Red Mountain Freeway 12.9 mi 15m
Beeline Highway 6.7 mi 7m
Papago Freeway 6.3 mi 7m
North Beeline Highway 4.5 mi 5m
North Saguaro Boulevard 3.1 mi 5m
North 51st Avenue 2.3 mi 4m
East Shea Boulevard 0.6 mi <1m
North Country Club Drive 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Red Mountain Freeway — 12.9 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Maryvale, AZ and Fountain Hills, AZ.

1

Start on North 55th Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · North 55th Avenue
2

Turn left onto West Indian School Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Indian School Road
3

Turn right onto North 51st Avenue

2.3 mi · 4 min · North 51st Avenue
4

Turn left

0.4 mi · 58 sec
Toward I 10 East: Tucson Use the left lane.
5

Merge onto I 10

4.9 mi · 5 min · Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on I 10

0.5 mi · 35 sec · Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
7

Continue on I 10

1.4 mi · 1 min · Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

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.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway

0.3 mi · 41 sec · Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A Toward AZ 202 Loop East
10

Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway

12 mi · 14 min · Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A Toward AZ 202 Loop East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 46 sec
Exit 13 Toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Payson Use the slight right lane.
12

Turn left onto AZ 87

0.5 mi · 1 min · North Country Club Drive
13

Continue on AZ 87

4.5 mi · 5 min · North Beeline Highway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14

Continue on AZ 87

6.7 mi · 7 min · Beeline Highway
Use the left lane.
15

Turn left onto East Shea Boulevard

0.6 mi · 59 sec · East Shea Boulevard
Use the left lane.
16

Turn right onto North Saguaro Boulevard

3.1 mi · 5 min · North Saguaro Boulevard
Use the right lane.
17

Turn left onto East La Montana Drive

0.1 mi · 22 sec · East La Montana Drive
18

Turn right onto North Hamilton Drive

0.2 mi · 31 sec · North Hamilton Drive
19

Arrive at destination

North Hamilton Drive

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

Tempe, AZ

20 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

Scottsdale, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 39.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Tempe, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.7 miles from Maryvale, 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.2 and 23.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
3.2 mi into trip | ~6m in

Turn left toward I 10 East: Tucson

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 10 East: Tucson
8
10.5 mi into trip | ~15m 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
6
10.6 mi into trip | ~15m in | Red Mountain Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 147A Toward AZ 202 Loop East
8
10.9 mi into trip | ~16m 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
23.4 mi into trip | ~30m in

Take the exit toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Payson

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 13 Toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Payson

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.87 one way

$15.74 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.36 $8.33 $16.66
premium $5.59 $8.69 $17.39
diesel $5.61 $8.72 $17.44

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.9 0 $4.15 $1.90
Efficient EV 9.9 0 $3.46 $1.58
EV Truck/SUV 15.8 0 $5.53 $2.53

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Maryvale, AZ

Morning in Maryvale on Sunday

Local time

7:51 AM

MST

Current temp

88°F

Partly Sunny

SSE 0 to 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 3:13AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 3:13AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

Destination

Fountain Hills, AZ

Morning in Fountain Hills on Sunday

Local time

7:51 AM

MST

Current temp

88°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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

53m 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 presents a mixed driving profile, with 49% of it on highways. Expect a mostly smooth experience, punctuated by stretches of faster-paced freeway travel. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 12.9 miles along the Red Mountain Freeway. As you progress, the character of the drive shifts between these more open highway sections and potentially slower, more local road segments as you approach your destination. It's a drive that balances efficiency with varying road conditions.

49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.9 mi on Red Mountain Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.2 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 39.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.5 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.6 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): 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.

On the drive from Maryvale, AZ to Fountain Hills, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Payson along the way.

Payson

23.4 mi in | ~30m

About the Cities

Starting in Maryvale, AZ

Full guide →

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 53m. Total distance: 39.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

53m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 12.9 miles on Red Mountain 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 Fountain Hills, 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 3.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.5 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.6 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fountain Hills, 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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