Origin
New River, AZ
Late night in New River on Sunday
Local time
12:45 AM
MST
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New River, AZ to Surprise, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
32.1 mi
52 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New River, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Surprise, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
New River to Surprise is 32.1 miles and takes about 44m via Bob Stump Memorial Parkway/Black Canyon Freeway/North El Mirage Road, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, one-day trip within Arizona's Desert Southwest region. You'll experience a mixed drive that's mostly highway but offers a clear sense of progression. It's a short enough distance that you can depart at your leisure, making it a flexible option for a day trip or an easy transit between these two points.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Stump Memorial Parkway | 12.3 mi | 14m |
| Black Canyon Freeway | 6.1 mi | 6m |
| North El Mirage Road | 5.1 mi | 9m |
| North Black Canyon Highway | 3.2 mi | 3m |
| AZ 303 Loop | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Paradise Lane | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West New River Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| New River Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
— 12.3 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New River, AZ and Surprise, AZ.
1
Start on North Kelley Road
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
North Kelley Road
2
Turn left onto West New River Road
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
West New River Road
3
At end of road, turn left onto I-17 Frontage Road
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
I-17 Frontage Road
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto New River Road
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
New River Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I-17 South: Phoenix
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 17
2.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Black Canyon Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 17
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
North Black Canyon Highway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Continue on I 17
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Black Canyon Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 221
Toward AZ 303 Loop South
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto AZ 303 Loop
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
AZ 303 Loop
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
45 sec
12
Continue on this road
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
14
Merge onto AZ 303 Loop
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
·
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
15
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
47 sec
16
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
this road
17
Merge onto AZ 303 Loop
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
1 min
Exit 123
Toward El Mirage Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Exit 123
Toward El Mirage Road
20
Turn left onto North El Mirage Road
5.1 mi
·
9 min
·
North El Mirage Road
Use the right lane.
21
Turn right onto West Paradise Lane
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Paradise Lane
22
Turn left onto North Nash Street
88 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Nash Street
23
Arrive at destination
North Nash Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 26.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
I-17 Frontage Road
At end of road, turn left onto I-17 Frontage Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I-17 South: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I-17 South: Phoenix
7
10.7 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward AZ 303 Loop South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 221
Toward AZ 303 Loop South
6
11.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
AZ 303 Loop
Turn right onto AZ 303 Loop
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
7
26.1 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward El Mirage Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 123
Toward El Mirage Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.39 one way
$12.79 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.77 | $13.54 |
| premium | $5.59 | $7.07 | $14.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.09 | $14.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.37 | $1.54 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.81 | $1.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.49 | $2.05 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Surprise, AZ
Late night in Surprise on Sunday
Local time
12:45 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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
44m 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 offers a mixed drive, with 60% of it on highways, primarily the Black Canyon Freeway. You'll encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 12.3 miles on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway, providing a good opportunity to settle into a steady pace. As you transition to North El Mirage Road, the character of the drive will likely change, moving from faster freeway speeds to more local road conditions. Expect a dynamic driving experience that balances efficient travel with more varied road settings.
60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.3 mi on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.5 miles in near I-17 Frontage Road.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 32.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (I-17 Frontage Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
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 44m. Total distance: 32.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.3 miles on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway. 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 0.5 miles (I-17 Frontage Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.7 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 New River, AZ or browse trips ending in Surprise, AZ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AZ road trips.