Origin
Nogales, AZ
Late night in Nogales on Tuesday
Local time
5:34 AM
MST
Current temp
94°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Nogales, AZ to Tucson, 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
1h 21m
Distance
67.9 mi
109 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$14
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 21m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 33m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Nogales, AZ
András Nyemczovszky
Tucson, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Nogales to Tucson covers 67.9 miles of the Arizona Desert Southwest, making for a straightforward journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 21 minutes. Because of the manageable distance, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stay. You should budget approximately $13 for fuel, keeping the costs quite low for this regional transit. The drive utilizes a combination of North Grand Avenue, the Nogales–Tucson Highway, and West 22nd Street to navigate the transition between these two desert hubs. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a day of exploration, this path offers a reliable, no-fuss connection across the southern Arizona landscape.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nogales–Tucson Highway | 60 mi | 1h 5m |
| North Grand Avenue | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| West 22nd Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| East Broadway Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Mariposa Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Freeway Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Kino Parkway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Campbell Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Nogales–Tucson Highway
— 60 mi, about 1h 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Nogales, AZ and Tucson, AZ.
1
Start on North Wayside Drive
91 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Wayside Drive
2
Turn right onto North Morley Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
North Morley Avenue
3
Turn left
129 ft
·
9 sec
4
Turn right onto I 19 BUS
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
North Grand Avenue
5
Turn left onto AZ 189
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Mariposa Road
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 19 North: Tucson
7
Merge onto I 19
60 mi
·
1 hr 5 min
·
Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 102
Toward 29th Street/22nd Street, Silverlake Road, Starr Pass Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
9
Continue on South Freeway Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Freeway Road
10
Turn right onto West 22nd Street
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
West 22nd Street
11
Turn slight left
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
12
Turn straight onto South Kino Parkway
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Kino Parkway
13
Continue on South Campbell Avenue
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
South Campbell Avenue
14
Turn right onto East Broadway Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
East Broadway Boulevard
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto North Country Club Road
131 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Country Club Road
16
Arrive at destination
North Country Club Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 33.9 miles from Nogales, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Nogales–Tucson Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 60 miles.
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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 66.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 19 North: Tucson
Navigation decision point
Toward I 19 North: Tucson
5
3.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway
Merge onto I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
63.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward 29th Street/22nd Street, Silverlake Road, Starr Pass Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 102
Toward 29th Street/22nd Street, Silverlake Road...
5
66.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
|
East Broadway Boulevard
Turn right onto East Broadway Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.53 one way
$27.05 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $14.32 | $28.63 |
| premium | $5.59 | $14.95 | $29.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.99 | $29.98 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.13 | $3.26 |
| Efficient EV | 17 | 0 | $5.94 | $2.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.2 | 0 | $9.51 | $4.35 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Tucson, AZ
Late night in Tucson on Tuesday
Local time
5:34 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
11 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 21m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local driving experience as you transition away from the border region. While the route features a 60-mile stretch on the Nogales–Tucson Highway, the overall highway share remains quite low at only 2 percent. This means you will spend most of your time navigating local roads rather than high-speed interstate lanes. The personality of the drive shifts from the initial turn-heavy segments to more consistent stretches as you settle into the main highway portion. Prepare for a hands-on driving experience where your attention will be required more for local navigation than for long-distance highway cruising.
Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 60 mi on Nogales–Tucson Highway.
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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in.
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 67.9 miles you will encounter 8 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: at 0.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.1 miles (I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
3,833 ft
2,416 ft
Total Climb
65 ft
Total Descent
1,417 ft
Highest Point
3,833 ft
Elevation Range
1,417 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Nogales, AZ
Full guide →Nogales is a city divided by the US-México border, which runs through the middle of town on what was International Street. The city is one of the most important border crossings between Mexico and the USA by all measures. This portion of the city is in South Central Arizona; see Nogales (Sonora) for the portion in Sonora, Mexico.
Arriving in Tucson, AZ
Full guide →Tucson (TOO-sawn), also known as the "Old Pueblo", is the second-largest city in the state of Arizona and the county seat of Pima County in the Sonoran Desert. It is at a higher elevation than nearby Phoenix and is correspondingly cooler. Although with half a million residents it is smaller than the capital city, its cultural life is just as vibrant.
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 21m. Total distance: 67.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (2%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 60 miles on Nogales–Tucson 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 0.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.1 miles (I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Tumacácori National Historical Park and Saguaro National Park. 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 Tucson, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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