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Trip from Peoria, AZ to San Carlos, AZ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

48m

Distance

33.2 mi

53 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 44m ★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

Peoria, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown San Carlos, AZ, AZ

San Carlos, AZ

Andrea Hinojosa

Trip Overview

Peoria, AZ to San Carlos, AZ is 33.2 miles and takes about 48 minutes via Grand Avenue, Maricopa Freeway, and US 60, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Desert Southwest, offering a straightforward drive that's ideal for a quick transit. You'll experience a mixed driving profile, so expect some variety as you head east. The drive is manageable for a single day, making it a convenient option for local travel or connecting between points in Arizona.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Grand Avenue 9.3 mi 16m
Maricopa Freeway 8.8 mi 10m
US 60 7.1 mi 8m
Black Canyon Freeway 3.5 mi 4m
South Alma School Road 2.5 mi 4m
West Elliot Road 0.5 mi <1m
North Hartford Street 0.3 mi <1m
North Black Canyon Highway 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Grand Avenue — 9.3 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Peoria, AZ and San Carlos, AZ.

1

Start on North 83rd Avenue

128 ft · 8 sec · North 83rd Avenue
2

Turn right onto US 60

9.3 mi · 16 min · Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
3

Take the exit onto US 60

0.5 mi · 1 min · US 60
Toward 27th Avenue
4

Turn left onto US 60

0.2 mi · 26 sec · West Thomas Road
Use the left / slight left lanes.
5

Turn right onto US 60

0.3 mi · 28 sec · North Black Canyon Highway
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Toward I 17 South
7

Merge onto I 17; US 60

3.5 mi · 4 min · Black Canyon Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on I 17; US 60

8.8 mi · 10 min · Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit onto US 60

6.6 mi · 7 min · US 60
Exit 154 Toward US 60 East: Mesa, Globe Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 58 sec
Exit 178 Toward Alma School Road Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn right onto South Alma School Road

2.5 mi · 4 min · South Alma School Road
12

Turn left onto West Elliot Road

0.5 mi · 59 sec · West Elliot Road
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto North Hartford Street

0.3 mi · 41 sec · North Hartford Street
14

Turn right

141 ft · 13 sec
15

Turn right

102 ft · 7 sec
16

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

seat of Maricopa County, largest city in, and capital of, the State of Arizona, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Phoenix, AZ

17 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

Chandler, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Phoenix, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.6 miles from Peoria, 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 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 29.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 60 / Grand Avenue

Turn right onto US 60 / Grand Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
9.9 mi into trip | ~17m in | US 60 / West Thomas Road

Turn left onto US 60 / West Thomas Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / slight left lanes.
5
10.1 mi into trip | ~18m in | US 60 / North Black Canyon Highway

Turn right onto US 60 / North Black Canyon Highway

Navigation decision point

8
22.9 mi into trip | ~33m in | US 60

Take the exit onto US 60 toward US 60 East: Mesa, Globe

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 154 Toward US 60 East: Mesa, Globe
7
29.5 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the exit toward Alma School Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 178 Toward Alma School Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.88 one way

$11.77 round trip

$4.50/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.82 $6.30 $12.60
premium $5.04 $6.59 $13.18
diesel $4.80 $6.27 $12.54

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10 0 $3.49 $1.59
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.91 $1.33
EV Truck/SUV 13.3 0 $4.65 $2.12

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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.

Forecast as of Jun 29, 2026

Origin

Peoria, AZ

Afternoon in Peoria on Sunday

Local time

12:15 PM

MST

Current temp

101°F

Sunny

SSW 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued June 29 at 11:54AM MST until June 29 at 7:00PM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued June 29 at 11:54AM MST until June 30 at 7:00PM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ

Destination

San Carlos, AZ

Afternoon in San Carlos on Sunday

Local time

12:15 PM

MST

Current temp

103°F

Sunny

SW 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued June 29 at 11:54AM MST until June 29 at 7:00PM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued June 29 at 11:54AM MST until June 30 at 7:00PM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ

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

48m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 59% of it on highways. You'll encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 9.3 miles on Grand Avenue before transitioning to freeway and then US 60. The road's character shifts from urban surface streets to faster-paced freeway and highway segments. Expect to navigate through various traffic conditions as you make your way across the landscape.

59% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.3 mi on Grand Avenue.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 early in the drive near US 60 / Grand Avenue.

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 13 decision points packed into just 33.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 48m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 60 / Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles (US 60 / West Thomas Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles (US 60 / North Black Canyon Highway): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,207 ft 1,057 ft

Total Climb

228 ft

Total Descent

162 ft

Highest Point

1,207 ft

~23.7 mi in

Elevation Range

150 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Peoria, AZ to San Carlos, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Globe along the way.

Globe

22.9 mi in | ~33m | via US 60

About the Cities

Starting in Peoria, AZ

Full guide →

Peoria is a city inside of Phoenix, Arizona. Many visitors come to the area during the spring to see their favorite professional baseball team during Spring Training in the Cactus League.

Top landmarks

  • • Central School — school building in Peoria, Arizona

Arriving in San Carlos, AZ

Full guide →

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 48m. Total distance: 33.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

48m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (59%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9.3 miles on Grand Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 San Carlos, 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: near the start (US 60 / Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles (US 60 / West Thomas Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles (US 60 / North Black Canyon Highway): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Carlos, 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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