Scottsdale to Joseph City is 186.1 miles and takes about 3h 54m via Beeline Highway and AZ 260, with a fuel budget near $37 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip takes you through the Desert Southwest in Arizona, offering a mixed drive experience. It's a straightforward, single-day journey perfect for those looking to cover ground efficiently within the state. You'll find this route manageable and unlikely to require an overnight stop, making it ideal for a quick transition between regions.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
93.1 miles from Scottsdale, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 54m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Beeline Highway
68.4 mi
1h 20m
AZ 260
53 mi
1h 11m
Heber Road
30.9 mi
36m
Purple Heart Trail
7.3 mi
7m
West 3rd Street North
4.9 mi
6m
North Beeline Highway
4.2 mi
4m
Heber-Holbrook Highway
2.9 mi
3m
East McDowell Road
2.7 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
Beeline Highway
— 68.4 mi, about 1h 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scottsdale, AZ and Joseph City, AZ.
1
Start on this road
64 ft·6 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto East Chaparral Road
0.6 mi·1 min·East Chaparral Road
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·46 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop South
4
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
2.3 mi·2 min·Pima Freeway
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi·46 sec
Exit 49Toward McDowell RoadUse the slight right lane.
6
Turn left onto East McDowell Road
2.7 mi·4 min·East McDowell Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
7
Turn left onto AZ 87
4.2 mi·4 min·North Beeline Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Continue on AZ 87
68 mi·1 hr 20 min·Beeline Highway
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto AZ 260
53 mi·1 hr 11 min·AZ 260
Use the straight lane.
10
Turn left onto AZ 277
1.9 mi·3 min·Highway 277
11
Continue on AZ 277
4.9 mi·6 min·West 3rd Street North
12
Turn left onto AZ 377
2.9 mi·3 min·Heber-Holbrook Highway
13
Turn straight onto AZ 377
31 mi·36 min·Heber Road
14
Turn left onto AZ 77
1.6 mi·2 min·Show Low-Holbrook Highway
15
Continue on US 180; AZ 77
0.5 mi·56 sec·Holbrook-Springerville Highway
16
Continue on US 180; AZ 77
0.2 mi·20 sec·Navajo Boulevard
17
Turn left onto US 180; I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist
1.7 mi·2 min·West Hopi Drive
18
Take the ramp onto US 180; I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist
0.5 mi·1 min·Holbrook-Springerville Highway
19
Merge onto I 40; US 180
7.3 mi·7 min·Purple Heart Trail
20
Take the exit onto I 40 Business
0.3 mi·41 sec·I 40 Business
Toward I 40 Business: Joseph City
21
Turn right onto I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist
1.5 mi·2 min·Main Street
22
Arrive at destination
I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist
Trip Plan
Given the 3h 54m duration, this trip is easily completed in a single day, so you have flexibility with your departure time. Plan for one stop to break up the 186.1 miles, ensuring you stay refreshed. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, as the estimated cost is $37, and it’s always wise to top off before heading into longer stretches. A good tip for this route is to familiarize yourself with the transitions between the Beeline Highway, AZ 260, and Heber Road to anticipate any changes in road conditions or speed limits.
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 93.1 miles from Scottsdale, AZ, or about 1h 54m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 68.4 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 41 miles or 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 93.1 miles or 1h 54m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Joseph City, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Scottsdale, 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 Scottsdale, AZ
This is one driving day of about 186.1 miles and 3h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 41 miles from Scottsdale, 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 Beeline Highway for about 68.4 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 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 78.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in
Take the ramp toward AZ 101 Loop South
Navigation decision point
Toward AZ 101 Loop South
7
3.3 mi into trip|~4m in
Take the exit toward McDowell Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 49
Toward McDowell Road
4
3.6 mi into trip|~5m in|East McDowell Road
Turn left onto East McDowell Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
6.3 mi into trip|~9m in|AZ 87 / North Beeline Highway
Turn left onto AZ 87 / North Beeline Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
78.9 mi into trip|~1h 35m in|AZ 260
Turn right onto AZ 260
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$37.07 one way
$74.15 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg65 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$39.23
$78.47
premium
$5.59
$40.96
$81.93
diesel
$5.61
$41.09
$82.18
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 65.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $20 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
55.8
0
$19.54
$8.93
Efficient EV
46.5
0
$16.28
$7.44
EV Truck/SUV
74.4
0
$26.05
$11.91
Gas CO2
65 kg
EV CO2
22 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 15, 2026
Origin
Scottsdale, AZ
Evening
in Scottsdale on Saturday
Local time
7:54 PM
MST
Current temp
92°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Joseph City, AZ
Evening
in Joseph City on Saturday
Local time
7:54 PM
MST
Current temp
37°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
44°F
Payson, AZ
93 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
55 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
3h 54m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Petrified Forest National Park
National Park
A landscape where deep time lies fully on display, Petrified Forest National Park blends colorful badlands, vast grasslands, and one of the world’s largest and most vivid collections of petrified wood...
22 mi from route
~56 min detour
$25
near mile 173.3
Located within the northern range of the Sonoran Desert lie two cliff dwellings that were occupied from 1300-1450 CE (common era). They represent a vibrant culture consisting of local and immigrant gr...
23 mi from route
~56 min detour
$10
near mile 32.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive presents a mixed character, with 31% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 68.4 miles on the Beeline Highway, indicating some extended periods of consistent driving. The route transitions, suggesting a change in road type and perhaps speed as you progress from the initial highway sections onto AZ 260 and Heber Road. Expect a varied driving experience that moves beyond simple freeway cruising.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 68.4 mi on Beeline Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 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 3h 54m drive. You will face about 15 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (East McDowell Road): Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 68.4 miles on Beeline 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.
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 0.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (East McDowell Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Petrified Forest National Park and Tonto National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.9 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.8 hours — manageable with a long break at Joseph City, AZ, but most travelers stay overnight.
