Rio Rico, AZ to Yuma, AZ is 295.2 miles and takes about 5h 12m via Blue Star Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $58 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This one-day trip stays within the Desert Southwest, traversing Arizona from south to west. The profile indicates you'll be on mostly surface roads for this stretch, so expect a more relaxed pace than a pure interstate cruise. It's a straightforward drive, suitable for a single day if you get an early start.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
147.6 miles from Rio Rico, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 40m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Blue Star Memorial Highway
118.9 mi
2h 2m
Phoenix Bypass Route
58.9 mi
58m
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.5 mi
55m
Nogales–Tucson Highway
52 mi
57m
South Freeway
5.4 mi
6m
Rio Rico Drive
1.2 mi
2m
Harold C Giss Parkway
1 mi
1m
Pendleton Drive
0.7 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Blue Star Memorial Highway
— 118.9 mi, about 2h 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rio Rico, AZ and Yuma, AZ.
1
Start on this road
204 ft·20 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto Yeso Court
290 ft·15 sec·Yeso Court
3
Turn right onto Avenida Leon
0.3 mi·1 min·Avenida Leon
4
At end of road, turn right onto Avenida Coatimundi
0.3 mi·43 sec·Avenida Coatimundi
5
At end of road, turn right onto Pendleton Drive
0.7 mi·1 min·Pendleton Drive
6
Turn left onto Rio Rico Drive
1.2 mi·2 min·Rio Rico Drive
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·40 sec
8
Merge onto I 19
52 mi·57 min·Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi·49 sec
Toward I 10 West: Phoenix
10
Merge onto I 10
5.4 mi·6 min·South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 10
3.7 mi·4 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
51 mi·51 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi·35 sec
Exit 199Toward I 8 West: San Diego
14
Continue on I 8
59 mi·58 min·Phoenix Bypass Route
15
Continue on I 8
119 mi·2 hr 2 min·Blue Star Memorial Highway
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward Giss Parkway
17
Keep slight left at fork
189 ft·4 sec
18
Enter roundabout onto Harold C Giss Parkway
251 ft·4 sec·Harold C Giss Parkway
19
Continue on Harold C Giss Parkway
0.6 mi·1 min·Harold C Giss Parkway
20
Enter roundabout onto Harold C Giss Parkway
120 ft·2 sec·Harold C Giss Parkway
21
Continue on Harold C Giss Parkway
0.3 mi·36 sec·Harold C Giss Parkway
22
Turn right onto I 8 BUS; US 80 Hist
0.3 mi·35 sec·South 4th Avenue
23
Arrive at destination
I 8 BUS
Trip Plan
Given the 5-hour driving time, departing Rio Rico in the morning will allow you to reach Yuma with plenty of daylight remaining. With only one recommended stop, you have flexibility in when and where you choose to break up the drive. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially as you transition to surface roads where stations might be less frequent than on major highways. The estimated fuel cost of $58 is a good benchmark for budgeting this single-day excursion.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 147.6 miles from Rio Rico, AZ, or about 2h 40m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 118.9 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 65 miles or 1h 17m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 147.6 miles or 2h 40m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 16m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Yuma, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Rio Rico, 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 Rio Rico, AZ
This is one driving day of about 295.2 miles and 5h 12m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 65 miles from Rio Rico, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Blue Star Memorial Highway for about 118.9 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 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 64.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|Yeso Court
Turn right onto Yeso Court
Navigation decision point
5
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|Avenida Coatimundi
At end of road, turn right onto Avenida Coatimundi
Navigation decision point
5
2.9 mi into trip|~7m 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.
5
54.9 mi into trip|~1h 5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 West: Phoenix
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 10 West: Phoenix
6
64.7 mi into trip|~1h 16m in|I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$52.31 one way
$104.62 round trip
$4.50/gal25.4 MPG avg103 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.82
$56.02
$112.04
premium
$5.04
$58.60
$117.20
diesel
$4.80
$55.74
$111.48
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$52
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$77–$102
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 103.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $31 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
88.6
1
$31.00
$14.17
Efficient EV
73.8
0
$25.83
$11.81
EV Truck/SUV
118.1
1
$41.33
$18.89
Gas CO2
103 kg
EV CO2
35 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Jul 17, 2026
Origin
Rio Rico, AZ
Late night
in Rio Rico on Sunday
Local time
1:17 AM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
W 5 mph61% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 17 at 3:05PM MST until July 17 at 3:45PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 17 at 3:04PM MST until July 17 at 6:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ
Destination
Yuma, AZ
Late night
in Yuma on Sunday
Local time
1:17 AM
MST
Current temp
104°F
Sunny
SSE 10 mph5% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 17 at 3:05PM MST until July 17 at 3:45PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 17 at 3:04PM MST until July 17 at 6:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ
78°F
San Luis, AZ
148 mi in
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
16 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
5h 12m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Tumacácori sits at a cultural crossroads in the Santa Cruz River valley. Here O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met and mingled with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers...
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...
14 mi from route
~36 min detour
$25
near mile 50.9
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...
16 mi from route
~40 min detour
Free
near mile 112
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive covers 295.2 miles, with highway travel accounting for about half of the total mileage, indicated by a highway share of 2. You'll encounter an 118.9-mile stretch on the Blue Star Memorial Highway before transitioning to surface roads. Expect to navigate a mix of cruising and potentially more frequent intersections as you move away from the limited-access sections. The profile suggests mostly surface roads, so plan for varied speeds and more local traffic.
Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 118.9 mi on Blue Star Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 early in the drive near Yeso Court.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 295.2 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Yeso Court): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Avenida Coatimundi): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yuma is the largest city and county seat of Yuma County, Arizona. It is in the southwest corner of the state, across the Colorado River from California and near two Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora.
Top landmarks
•Brown House — historic house in Yuma, Arizona, USA
•Masonic Temple — in Yuma, Arizona
•Gandolfo Theatre — former movie theater in Yuma, Arizona, United States
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 12m. Total distance: 295.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 118.9 miles on Blue Star Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Yuma, AZ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Yeso Court): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Avenida Coatimundi): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (I 19 / Nogales–Tucson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Tumacácori National Historical Park, Saguaro National Park and Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.2 hours each way, a round trip means 10.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Yuma, AZ before the return drive.
