Origin
Mesa, AZ
Late night in Mesa on Tuesday
Local time
1:57 AM
MST
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mesa, AZ to Scottsdale, 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
17m
Distance
10.4 mi
17 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mesa, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Scottsdale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 10.4-mile drive between Mesa and Scottsdale, Arizona, should take you about 17 minutes to complete. It's a straightforward local trip through the Desert Southwest, making it perfect for a single day or even just a quick part of your itinerary. You'll navigate primarily using East McDowell Road and the Pima Freeway, with a modest 22% share of highway driving. Expect to spend around $2 on fuel for this journey. Given its brevity, no overnight stays are necessary, and you can easily fit it into any schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East McDowell Road | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Pima Freeway | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| North Mesa Drive | 2 mi | 3m |
| East McKellips Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Country Club Drive | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Chaparral Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Beeline Highway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East University Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East McDowell Road
— 2.6 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mesa, AZ and Scottsdale, AZ.
1
Start on East University Drive
73 ft
·
5 sec
·
East University Drive
2
Turn right onto North Mesa Drive
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Mesa Drive
3
Turn left onto East McKellips Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East McKellips Road
4
Turn right onto AZ 87
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Country Club Drive
5
Continue on AZ 87
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
North Beeline Highway
6
Turn left onto East McDowell Road
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
East McDowell Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop North
8
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Pima Freeway
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
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 9.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Mesa Drive
Turn right onto North Mesa Drive
Navigation decision point
4
2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
East McKellips Road
Turn left onto East McKellips Road
Navigation decision point
6
4.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
East McDowell Road
Turn left onto East McDowell Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the ramp toward AZ 101 Loop North
Navigation decision point
Toward AZ 101 Loop North
7
9.3 mi into trip
|
~15m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.07 one way
$4.14 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $2.19 | $4.39 |
| premium | $5.59 | $2.29 | $4.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.30 | $4.59 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
| Efficient EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.91 | $0.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.46 | $0.67 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Scottsdale, AZ
Late night in Scottsdale on Tuesday
Local time
1:57 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
1 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
17m 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 characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' so be prepared for frequent intersections and changes in direction. While 22% of your journey will be on the Pima Freeway, the majority involves navigating city streets. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 2.6 miles on East McDowell Road. The road's personality shifts from local surface streets to faster freeway segments and back, requiring your attention as you transition between different driving environments.
Only 22% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.6 mi on East McDowell Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Mesa Drive.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 10.4 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Mesa Drive): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles (East McKellips Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (East McDowell Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Mesa, AZ
Full guide →Founded 1878
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.
Top landmarks
- • Mesa Arizona Temple — the seventh operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
- • Mesa Grande — cultural park in Mesa, Arizona, preserving a group of Hohokam structures
- • Buckhorn Baths Motel — historic defunct mineral hot spring resort in Mesa, Arizona
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 17m. Total distance: 10.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (22%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.6 miles on East McDowell Road. 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: near the start (North Mesa Drive): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles (East McKellips Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (East McDowell Road): Lane positioning matters here.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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