Peoria, AZ to South Tucson, AZ is 129 miles and takes about 2h 24m via Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, with a fuel budget near $26 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This one-day trip stays within Arizona's Desert Southwest region, offering a straightforward drive. Mostly surface roads connect the two cities, so don't expect a high-speed interstate experience. It's a practical option for getting between the Phoenix metro area and Tucson, with a manageable distance and cost.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
64.5 miles from Peoria, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 16m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.6 mi
55m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
37.8 mi
38m
Maricopa Freeway
16.3 mi
18m
Grand Avenue
9.3 mi
16m
North Freeway
4.6 mi
5m
Black Canyon Freeway
3.5 mi
4m
West 22nd Street
0.7 mi
1m
US 60
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
— 54.6 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Peoria, AZ and South Tucson, 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
16 mi·18 min·Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
38 mi·38 min·Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 10
55 mi·55 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 10
4.6 mi·5 min·North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi·38 sec
Exit 259Toward 22nd Street - 29th Street, Starr Pass Boulevard, Silverlake RoadUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on South Freeway Road
377 ft·8 sec·South Freeway Road
14
Turn left onto West 22nd Street
0.7 mi·1 min·West 22nd Street
15
Turn right onto US 80 Hist
0.5 mi·57 sec·South 6th Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
US 80 Hist
Trip Plan
Since this is a 129-mile drive that should take under 2.5 hours, you have a lot of flexibility with departure times. Leaving in the morning will give you plenty of daylight to reach South Tucson comfortably. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially as you approach the 54.6-mile stretch on the Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, as services might be more spread out there. You can expect to spend around $26 on fuel for this trip.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 64.5 miles from Peoria, AZ, or about 1h 16m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 54.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 28 miles or 39m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 64.5 miles or 1h 16m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 58m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near South Tucson, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Peoria, AZ so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Peoria, AZ
This is one driving day of about 129 miles and 2h 24m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 28 miles from Peoria, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway for about 54.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 127.4 — 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
5
10.4 mi into trip|~18m in
Take the exit toward I 17 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 17 South
8
127.4 mi into trip|~2h 21m in
Take the exit toward 22nd Street - 29th Street, Starr Pass Boulevard, Silverlake Road
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 259
Toward 22nd Street - 29th Street, Starr Pass Bo...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$25.70 one way
$51.40 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg45 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$27.20
$54.39
premium
$5.59
$28.40
$56.79
diesel
$5.61
$28.48
$56.96
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$26
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$51–$76
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 45.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
12 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
Park West - Tesla Supercharger
Peoria, AZ
Tesla
16 DCFC
Westgate Entertainment District - Tesla Supercharger
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
38.7
0
$13.54
$6.19
Efficient EV
32.3
0
$11.29
$5.16
EV Truck/SUV
51.6
0
$18.06
$8.26
Gas CO2
45 kg
EV CO2
15 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 Apr 19, 2026
Origin
Peoria, AZ
Night
in Peoria on Saturday
Local time
9:40 PM
MST
Current temp
91°F
Sunny
SSW 0 to 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
South Tucson, AZ
Night
in South Tucson on Saturday
Local time
9:40 PM
MST
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
36 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
2h 24m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
National Monument
An Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether a gathering place for people or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of...
11 mi from route
~27 min detour
Free
near mile 57.8
Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are pr...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 19% highway share, meaning you'll spend most of your time on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on the Casa Grande-Tucson Highway is 54.6 miles. You'll notice the transition from urban merging near Peoria to more rural cruising as you head south. Expect frequent intersections and varying speed limits typical of surface road travel.
Only 19% 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: 54.6 mi on Casa Grande-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 early in the drive near US 60 / Grand Avenue.
Driving Effort5/10
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 129 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: 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.
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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 24m. Total distance: 129 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (19%). 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 54.6 miles on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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 South Tucson, AZ before heading back.
