Traveling from Quartzsite to Peoria covers 125.8 miles across the Arizona desert. You can expect this trip to take approximately 1 hour and 57 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. Your journey will primarily utilize West Main Street, Quartzsite Boulevard, and the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. Budgeting about $25 for fuel is a safe estimate for this stretch. Since both locations are situated within the Desert Southwest, you will remain in a consistent, arid environment throughout the entire drive. This straightforward route serves as a practical connection between the two points, offering a consistent experience from start to finish.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
63.6 miles from Quartzsite, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 5m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
107.3 mi
1h 48m
Papago Freeway
8.1 mi
9m
Agua Fria Freeway
7.9 mi
9m
West Peoria Avenue
1 mi
2m
West Main Street
0.7 mi
1m
West Washington Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Quartzsite Boulevard
0.2 mi
<1m
North 85th Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
— 107.3 mi, about 1h 48m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Quartzsite, AZ and Peoria, AZ.
1
Start on Oldham Lane
41 ft·8 sec·Oldham Lane
2
Turn left onto I 10 BUS; US 95
0.7 mi·1 min·West Main Street
3
Turn left onto I 10 BUS; US 95
0.2 mi·22 sec·Quartzsite Boulevard
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·36 sec
5
Merge onto I 10
107 mi·1 hr 48 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 10
8.1 mi·9 min·Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
1.0 mi·1 min
Exit 133BUse the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on AZ 101 Loop
7.9 mi·9 min·Agua Fria Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi·35 sec
Exit 10Toward Peoria AvenueUse the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto West Peoria Avenue
1.0 mi·2 min·West Peoria Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto North 85th Avenue
193 ft·10 sec·North 85th Avenue
12
Turn left onto West Washington Street
0.3 mi·49 sec·West Washington Street
13
Turn left onto North 83rd Avenue
77 ft·2 sec·North 83rd Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
North 83rd Avenue
Trip Plan
Since this is a relatively short trip under two hours, you have plenty of flexibility in your departure time. You won't need to plan for major stops, as you can easily complete the 125.8-mile journey in a single push without fatigue. Before you head out, ensure your vehicle is topped off, as the $25 fuel budget assumes you are starting with a full tank. Keep a close eye on your navigation, especially when transitioning between the local streets in Quartzsite and the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. By planning your departure to avoid peak local traffic, you can maintain a steady pace throughout the entire duration of your travel.
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 63.6 miles from Quartzsite, AZ, or about 1h 5m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 107.3 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 29m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 63.6 miles or 1h 5m 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 46m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Peoria, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Quartzsite, 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 Quartzsite, AZ
This is one driving day of about 127.1 miles and 2h 14m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 28 miles from Quartzsite, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway for about 107.3 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 125.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.9 mi into trip|~2m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip|~2m in|I 10 / Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 10 / Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
116.6 mi into trip|~2h in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 133B
7
125.5 mi into trip|~2h 10m in
Take the exit toward Peoria Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 10
Toward Peoria Avenue
6
125.8 mi into trip|~2h 11m in|West Peoria Avenue
Turn right onto West Peoria Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$25.32 one way
$50.64 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg45 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$26.80
$53.59
premium
$5.59
$27.98
$55.95
diesel
$5.61
$28.06
$56.12
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$25
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$50–$75
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 44.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
38.1
0
$13.35
$6.10
Efficient EV
31.8
0
$11.12
$5.08
EV Truck/SUV
50.8
0
$17.79
$8.13
Gas CO2
44 kg
EV CO2
15 kg (66% 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 17, 2026
Origin
Quartzsite, AZ
Night
in Quartzsite on Saturday
Local time
11:00 PM
MST
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Peoria, AZ
Night
in Peoria on Saturday
Local time
11:00 PM
MST
Current temp
85°F
Sunny
SW 5 mph0% chanceLive 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
1 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
2h 14m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this route features a 0% highway share. You will navigate through local roads rather than long, monotonous stretches of freeway, with no single segment on West Main Street functioning as a long, uninterrupted highway leg. The road’s personality is defined by its technical nature, requiring your full attention as you transition between local surface streets and the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. Because the route lacks long stretches of open highway, the drive feels more localized and intimate than a typical cross-country interstate slog. Stay alert to the frequent turns that characterize this inland Arizona connection.
Only 13% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 107.3 mi on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 14m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (I 10 / Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 116.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Quartzsite is a former mining town in La Paz County, Arizona. In 2020, it hosted a permanent population of 2,400 people, but during the balmy winters from December to February the population explodes to well over 100,000 as RV campers descend in droves in recreational vehicles to camp on the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Lands surrounding the town. Quartzite is also well known for gem shows, which draw over a million visitors yearly.
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.
The longest stretch is about 107.3 miles on Pearl Harbor Memorial 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: at 0.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (I 10 / Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 116.6 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 Peoria, AZ before heading back.
