Origin
Mesa, AZ
Night in Mesa on Saturday
Local time
9:15 PM
MST
Current temp
93°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mesa, AZ to Coolidge, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 6m
Distance
42.9 mi
69 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 1m
★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mesa, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Coolidge, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Mesa to Coolidge, you can expect a straightforward trip covering 42.9 miles. Clocking in at approximately 1 hour and 6 minutes, this drive is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stops. Budgeting about $9 for fuel should comfortably cover your transit between these two Desert Southwest locations. Because the trip is relatively short, you have plenty of flexibility in your schedule to head out whenever it best suits your plans. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a quick change of scenery, this route provides a reliable connection across the Arizona landscape.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Junction I-10-Mesa Highway | 24.7 mi | 33m |
| North Arizona Avenue | 11 mi | 18m |
| North Country Club Drive | 4 mi | 7m |
| North Arizona Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| East University Drive | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Central Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Hunt Highway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Junction I-10-Mesa Highway
— 24.7 mi, about 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mesa, AZ and Coolidge, AZ.
1
Start on East University Drive
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
East University Drive
2
Turn left onto AZ 87
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
North Country Club Drive
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on AZ 87
11 mi
·
18 min
·
North Arizona Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn left onto AZ 87; BIA 56
263 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Hunt Highway
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto AZ 87
25 mi
·
33 min
·
Junction I-10-Mesa Highway
6
Turn right onto AZ 87; AZ 287
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
North Arizona Boulevard
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto West Central Avenue
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
West Central Avenue
Use the left lane.
8
Arrive at destination
West Central Avenue
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 42.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.4 miles from Mesa, 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 55 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 42.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive
Turn left onto AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
16.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
AZ 87; BIA 56 / East Hunt Highway
Turn left onto AZ 87; BIA 56 / East Hunt Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
16.1 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
AZ 87 / Junction I-10-Mesa Highway
Turn right onto AZ 87 / Junction I-10-Mesa Highway
Navigation decision point
6
40.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
|
AZ 87; AZ 287 / North Arizona Boulevard
Turn right onto AZ 87; AZ 287 / North Arizona Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
42.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
West Central Avenue
Turn left onto West Central Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.55 one way
$17.09 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $9.04 | $18.09 |
| premium | $5.59 | $9.44 | $18.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.47 | $18.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 15 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.50 | $2.06 |
| Efficient EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.75 | $1.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.2 | 0 | $6.01 | $2.75 |
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
Coolidge, AZ
Night in Coolidge on Saturday
Local time
9:15 PM
MST
Current temp
56°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
37 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
1h 6m 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 journey features a mixed-drive profile, blending high-speed transit with local road navigation. You will spend roughly 57% of your time on highways, providing a balanced experience behind the wheel. The most significant portion of the trip is the 24.7-mile stretch along the Junction I-10-Mesa Highway, which allows you to maintain a steady pace. As you transition off the main arteries onto North Arizona Avenue and North Country Club Drive, the driving environment shifts to reflect a more localized pace. Expect a functional drive that trades intense scenic variety for direct, efficient travel between your points of origin and destination.
57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.7 mi on Junction I-10-Mesa Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 1 miles in near AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 6m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles (AZ 87; BIA 56 / East Hunt Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles (AZ 87 / Junction I-10-Mesa Highway): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Mesa, AZ
Full guide →Mesa, population 518,000 (2019), is in Maricopa County. It is Arizona's third-largest city, and is part of the Greater Phoenix urban complex.
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 1h 6m. Total distance: 42.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.7 miles on Junction I-10-Mesa Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 1 miles (AZ 87 / North Country Club Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles (AZ 87; BIA 56 / East Hunt Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles (AZ 87 / Junction I-10-Mesa Highway): Navigation decision point.
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 Coolidge, 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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