Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Phoenix, AZ to Scottsdale, AZ

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

26m

Distance

15.5 mi

25 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 24m ★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
seat of Maricopa County, largest city in, and capital of, the State of Arizona, United States

Phoenix, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

Scottsdale, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Phoenix to Scottsdale is a quick, 19.6-mile commute that typically takes about 23 minutes. Because this is a short, turn-heavy local drive within the Desert Southwest, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics; it is perfectly suited for a single-day trip. You can expect to spend roughly $4 on fuel for the journey, making it a very economical route. Navigating through the city involves utilizing North 7th Avenue and I-10 East, including a pass through the Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel. Since both cities are located within the same region, you will experience a consistent desert environment throughout the entire trip. Overall, it is a straightforward connection that offers plenty of flexibility for your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East McDowell Road 3.3 mi 5m
Red Mountain Freeway 3 mi 3m
North Scottsdale Road 1.5 mi 2m
North Hayden Road 1.5 mi 2m
Papago Freeway 1.4 mi 1m
East Osborn Road 1 mi 1m
North 7th Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
East Chaparral Road 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: East McDowell Road — 3.3 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Phoenix, AZ and Scottsdale, AZ.

1

Start on West Washington Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Washington Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
2

Turn right onto North 7th Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · North 7th Avenue
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 46 sec
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
4

Merge onto I 10

0.5 mi · 31 sec · Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
5

Continue on I 10

1.4 mi · 1 min · Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway

0.1 mi · 7 sec · Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147 Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway

0.3 mi · 41 sec · Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A Toward AZ 202 Loop East
8

Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway

2.6 mi · 3 min · Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A Toward AZ 202 Loop East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Exit 3 Toward AZ 143 South: Washington Street, McDowell Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min
Toward McDowell Road Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11

Merge onto AZ 143

478 ft · 9 sec · Hohokam Expressway
12

Turn right onto East McDowell Road

3.3 mi · 5 min · East McDowell Road
Use the left lane.
13

Turn left onto North Scottsdale Road

1.5 mi · 2 min · North Scottsdale Road
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto East Osborn Road

0.5 mi · 57 sec · East Osborn Road
Use the right lane.
15

Enter roundabout onto East Osborn Road

90 ft · 1 sec · East Osborn Road
16

Continue on East Osborn Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · East Osborn Road
17

Turn left onto North Hayden Road

1.5 mi · 2 min · North Hayden Road
Use the left lane.
18

Turn right onto East Chaparral Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · East Chaparral Road
Use the right lane.
19

Turn right

64 ft · 4 sec
20

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 6.8 — 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 | North 7th Avenue

Turn right onto North 7th Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
3.6 mi into trip | ~5m in | Red Mountain Freeway

Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East

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 147 Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
8
4 mi into trip | ~6m in | Red Mountain Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 147A Toward AZ 202 Loop East
8
6.6 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the exit toward AZ 143 South: Washington Street, McDowell 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 3 Toward AZ 143 South: Washington Street, McDowel...
7
6.8 mi into trip | ~10m in

Keep slight left at fork toward McDowell Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Toward McDowell Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.09 one way

$6.18 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.36 $3.27 $6.54
premium $5.59 $3.41 $6.82
diesel $5.61 $3.42 $6.84

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.6 0 $1.63 $0.74
Efficient EV 3.9 0 $1.36 $0.62
EV Truck/SUV 6.2 0 $2.17 $0.99

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 14, 2026

Origin

Phoenix, AZ

Late night in Phoenix on Tuesday

Local time

3:41 AM

MST

Current temp

58°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

WSW 0 to 10 mph 22% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 7:45PM MST until April 13 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ

Destination

Scottsdale, AZ

Late night in Scottsdale on Tuesday

Local time

3:41 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

25 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

26m 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?

Expect a technical, turn-heavy experience rather than a long, monotonous highway cruise. With a 0% highway share, this route relies entirely on local roads and city streets to get you to your destination. You won't find any long, uninterrupted stretches here, as the longest segment is 0 miles on North 7th Avenue. Instead, you will navigate constant turns and city transitions as you move between Phoenix and Scottsdale. Staying alert is essential, as the urban nature of the roads requires your full attention compared to a standard interstate drive.

Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.3 mi on East McDowell Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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 North 7th Avenue.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 15.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (North 7th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,283 ft 1,060 ft

Total Climb

264 ft

Total Descent

93 ft

Highest Point

1,283 ft

~10 mi in

Elevation Range

222 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Phoenix, AZ

Full guide →

Founded 1868

Phoenix is the capital of the state of Arizona, the most populous city in the American Southwest. Warm and sunny winter weather have ensured a thriving tourism industry, and the city has become the region's primary political, cultural, economic, and transportation center. Phoenix is extremely hot and dry in the summertime, so always have sunscreen with you! It had about 1,625,000 residents in 2021, and is the fifth largest city in the United States.

Top landmarks

  • • Arizona State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Arizona
  • • Phoenix Art Museum — art museum in Phoenix, Arizona
  • • St. Mary's Basilica — Roman Catholic church in Phoenix, Arizona

Arriving in Scottsdale, AZ

Full guide →

Founded 1894

Scottsdale is a city in the state of Arizona. Scottsdale is home to many galleries, high quality resorts, and golf courses. It is also one of the wealthier parts of the Phoenix Metro Area.

Top landmarks

  • • Taliesin West — Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
  • • Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art — art museum
  • • Little Red Schoolhouse — now used as the Scottsdale Historical Museum, NRHP-listed

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 26m. Total distance: 15.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

26m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 3.3 miles on East McDowell Road. 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 Scottsdale, 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 (North 7th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Scottsdale, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Scottsdale, AZ

Meadview, AZ 257.4 mi · 5h 38m Joseph City, AZ 186.1 mi · 3h 54m Swift Trail Junction, AZ 168 mi · 3h 43m Mescal, AZ 158 mi · 2h 50m

More from Phoenix, AZ

Los Angeles, CA 372.6 mi · 6h 42m Beaver Dam, AZ 372.6 mi · 7h 31m Desert Hills, AZ 207.4 mi · 3h 55m Willcox, AZ 195.2 mi · 3h 28m Yuma, AZ 185.8 mi · 3h 29m Sierra Vista, AZ 185.8 mi · 3h 24m

More trips to Scottsdale, AZ

Pinon, AZ 307.3 mi Chinle, AZ 298.3 mi Window Rock, AZ 273.5 mi Ganado, AZ 260.3 mi Bullhead City, AZ 233.9 mi Lake Havasu City, AZ 213.4 mi
Escape planner: Phoenix, AZ Scenic drives in AZ

Explore more options from Phoenix, AZ or browse trips ending in Scottsdale, AZ.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AZ road trips.