Origin
San Tan Valley, AZ
Late night in San Tan Valley on Tuesday
Local time
2:13 AM
MST
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Tan Valley, AZ to Gilbert, AZ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
25.2 mi
41 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Tan Valley, AZ
Mark Direen
Gilbert, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
San Tan Valley to Gilbert is 25.2 miles and takes about 43 minutes via East Elliot Road and Santan Freeway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Arizona's Desert Southwest region, offering a straightforward drive. Expect a local feel for most of the journey, making it an easy option for a quick errand or a short hop between communities. Given its proximity, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion without needing overnight accommodations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Elliot Road | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| North Ironwood Road | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Santan Freeway | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| Gateway Freeway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| North Gantzel Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| East Combs Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| North Schnepf Road | 2 mi | 4m |
| South Higley Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
East Elliot Road
— 3.6 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Tan Valley, AZ and Gilbert, AZ.
1
Start on East Skyline Drive
151 ft
·
4 sec
·
East Skyline Drive
2
Continue on North Schnepf Road
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
North Schnepf Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto East Combs Road
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
East Combs Road
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto North Gantzel Road
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Gantzel Road
5
Continue on North Ironwood Road
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
North Ironwood Road
6
Turn left onto AZ 24
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Gateway Expressway
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
this road
Exit 4
8
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
this road
9
Continue on AZ 24
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Gateway Freeway
10
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
this road
Exit 3
11
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
·
this road
12
Continue on AZ 24
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
Gateway Freeway
13
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
this road
Exit 2
14
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
25 sec
·
this road
15
Continue on AZ 24
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Gateway Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
1.8 mi
·
3 min
Toward AZ 202 Loop West
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
17
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Santan Freeway
18
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 38
Toward Higley Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Turn right onto South Higley Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Higley Road
Use the right lane.
20
Turn left onto East Elliot Road
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
East Elliot Road
Use the left lane.
21
Turn right onto North Cottonwood Drive
261 ft
·
14 sec
·
North Cottonwood Drive
22
Turn left onto East Washington Avenue
231 ft
·
7 sec
·
East Washington Avenue
23
Continue on North Palm Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
North Palm Street
24
Turn left onto East Bruce Avenue
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
East Bruce Avenue
25
Turn left
203 ft
·
14 sec
26
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 21.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
East Combs Road
Turn left onto East Combs Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
9.5 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
AZ 24 / Gateway Expressway
Turn left onto AZ 24 / Gateway Expressway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
14.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward AZ 202 Loop West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward AZ 202 Loop West
7
19.2 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward Higley Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 38
Toward Higley Road
6
21.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
East Elliot Road
Turn left onto East Elliot Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.02 one way
$10.04 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $5.31 | $10.63 |
| premium | $5.59 | $5.55 | $11.09 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.56 | $11.13 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.65 | $1.21 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.61 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Gilbert, AZ
Late night in Gilbert on Tuesday
Local time
2:13 AM
MST
Current temp
84°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
43m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is characterized by its turn-heavy local drive, with only 23% of the journey on highways. You'll navigate through a mix of local roads, with the longest uninterrupted stretch being 3.6 miles on East Elliot Road. The drive begins with a local feel and transitions through different road types before potentially joining the Santan Freeway for a portion. Be prepared for frequent turns and changes in speed limits as you navigate through neighborhoods and local thoroughfares.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.6 mi on East Elliot Road.
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 around 2 miles in near East Combs Road.
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 12 decision points packed into just 25.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles (East Combs Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.5 miles (AZ 24 / Gateway Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Gilbert, AZ
Full guide →Gilbert is in the southeast valley of the Greater Phoenix region of Arizona. With a population of 270,000 (2021 est.) it is the largest town in the US. people. Once a railway town and the "Hay Capital of the World", Gilbert is now a diverse suburban center, retaining its agricultural and railroad history and celebrating its "small town" feel.
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 43m. Total distance: 25.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.6 miles on East Elliot 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 Gilbert, 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 2 miles (East Combs Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.5 miles (AZ 24 / Gateway Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Gilbert, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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