Origin
Mesa, AZ
Late night in Mesa on Sunday
Local time
12:35 AM
MST
Current temp
93°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mesa, AZ to Tolleson, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
29.1 mi
47 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mesa, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Tolleson, AZ
Abhishek Navlakha
Trip Overview
Spanning 29.1 miles across the Desert Southwest, this direct route from Mesa to Tolleson typically takes about 39 minutes to complete. Because the trip is short, you can easily handle it as a straightforward day trip without needing an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via the Red Mountain Freeway, the Papago Freeway, and segments of East University Drive. With a fuel cost estimate of roughly $6, it is an affordable transit option between these two Arizona cities. Whether you are commuting or heading across the valley, the drive is designed for efficiency rather than leisure. Expect a standard urban highway experience that connects two distinct points within the same desert region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Papago Freeway | 11.3 mi | 13m |
| Red Mountain Freeway | 10.9 mi | 12m |
| East University Drive | 2 mi | 3m |
| North Alma School Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| North 91st Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West Van Buren Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North 92nd Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Papago Freeway
— 11.3 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mesa, AZ and Tolleson, 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
10.0 mi
·
11 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 134
Toward 91st Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto North 91st Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
North 91st Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto West Van Buren Street
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
West Van Buren Street
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto North 92nd Drive
176 ft
·
8 sec
·
North 92nd Drive
13
Turn right
168 ft
·
12 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 3.6 and 28.8 — 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
5
3.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
AZ 202 Loop / Red Mountain Freeway
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop / Red Mountain Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
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
27.6 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward 91st Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 134
Toward 91st Avenue
6
28.8 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
West Van Buren Street
Turn right onto West Van Buren Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.80 one way
$11.59 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.14 | $12.27 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.41 | $12.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.42 | $12.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.07 | $1.86 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Tolleson, AZ
Late night in Tolleson on Sunday
Local time
12:35 AM
MST
Current temp
89°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
4 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
39m 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 trip is heavily highway-focused, with 76% of your time spent on high-speed transit corridors. You will find yourself navigating a mix of fast-paced freeway stretches and local arterial roads as you transition between cities. The longest uninterrupted portion of the drive occurs on the Papago Freeway, where you can settle in for an 11.3-mile stretch. While the drive lacks technical turns or winding backroads, the transition between the Red Mountain Freeway and the Papago Freeway defines the core experience. Be prepared for a consistent, functional drive that prioritizes speed and direct connectivity over scenic detours.
76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.3 mi on Papago Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 29.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (AZ 202 Loop / Red Mountain Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 39m. Total distance: 29.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.3 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 Tolleson, 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 3.9 miles (AZ 202 Loop / Red Mountain Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 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 Tolleson, 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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