Origin
Mesa, AZ
Late night in Mesa on Tuesday
Local time
4:42 AM
MST
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mesa, AZ to Surprise, 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
57m
Distance
43.4 mi
70 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 53m
★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mesa, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Surprise, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Mesa, AZ to Surprise, AZ is 43.4 miles and takes about 57 minutes via Papago Freeway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within the Desert Southwest, connecting two points in Arizona. It's a short drive that can easily be done in a single day, making it a convenient option for local travel. You'll find the majority of the trip is on major freeways, offering a straightforward transit between these two cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Papago Freeway | 11.8 mi | 13m |
| Red Mountain Freeway | 10.9 mi | 12m |
| Agua Fria Freeway | 8.8 mi | 10m |
| Grand Avenue | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| East University Drive | 2 mi | 3m |
| North Alma School Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North Nash Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Papago Freeway
— 11.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mesa, AZ and Surprise, AZ.
1
Start on East University Drive
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
East University Drive
2
Turn right onto North Alma School Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
North Alma School Road
3
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Toward AZ 202 Loop West
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 10 West
Use the slight left lane.
6
Merge onto I 10
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
8
Continue on I 10
10 mi
·
12 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 133B
Toward AZ 101 Loop North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on AZ 101 Loop
8.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Agua Fria Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 11
Toward US 60
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn left onto US 60
4.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto West Greenway Road
212 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Greenway Road
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto Santa Fe Drive
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Santa Fe Drive
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto North Nash Street
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
North Nash Street
16
Arrive at destination
North Nash Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.7 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 3.6 and 42.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
3.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Turn left toward AZ 202 Loop West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward AZ 202 Loop West
6
14.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward I 10 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 10 West
7
28.1 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward AZ 101 Loop North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 133B
Toward AZ 101 Loop North
7
37.8 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Take the exit toward US 60
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 11
Toward US 60
7
42.8 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
Santa Fe Drive
Turn left onto Santa Fe Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.65 one way
$17.29 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $9.15 | $18.30 |
| premium | $5.59 | $9.55 | $19.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.58 | $19.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.2 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 | 13 | 0 | $4.56 | $2.08 |
| Efficient EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.80 | $1.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.4 | 0 | $6.08 | $2.78 |
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
Surprise, AZ
Late night in Surprise on Tuesday
Local time
4:42 AM
MST
Current temp
59°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
25 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
57m 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?
You'll spend about 73% of this 43.4-mile drive on the highway. The longest continuous stretch on a freeway is 11.8 miles along the Papago Freeway. Expect to encounter a significant amount of freeway driving, with transitions to surface streets as you approach your destination in Surprise.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.8 mi on Papago Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Papago Freeway and Red Mountain Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.6 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 11 decision points packed into just 43.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Surprise, AZ
Full guide →Sun City is a suburb 20 miles (30km) northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was built as a planned retirement community in Maricopa County in the 1960s. An adjacent retirement community Sun City West was built in the late 1970s; there is also a Sun City Grand. Directly northwest of the three "Sun City" suburbs is Surprise, Arizona.
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 57m. Total distance: 43.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
57m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.8 miles on Papago 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 Surprise, 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 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Surprise, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Surprise, AZ
More trips to Surprise, AZ
Explore more options from Mesa, AZ or browse trips ending in Surprise, AZ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AZ road trips.