Origin
Scottsdale, AZ
Night in Scottsdale on Saturday
Local time
9:19 PM
MST
Current temp
92°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Scottsdale, AZ to Mesa, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
10.3 mi
17 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Scottsdale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Mesa, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion within the Desert Southwest, the 10.3-mile trip from Scottsdale to Mesa is an incredibly efficient journey. Expect a transit time of approximately 17 minutes, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day outing. You will navigate via the Pima Freeway, West McKellips Road, and North Mesa Drive to complete the trek. Budgeting around $2 for fuel should comfortably cover this short distance. Because the trip is so brief, you certainly do not need to worry about overnight logistics. It is a straightforward, practical connection between two neighboring cities in Arizona.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pima Freeway | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| West McKellips Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| North Mesa Drive | 2 mi | 3m |
| East McDowell Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| North Alma School Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Chaparral Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East University Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Pima Freeway
— 2.3 mi, about 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scottsdale, AZ and Mesa, 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 49
Toward McDowell Road
Use the slight right lane.
6
Turn left onto East McDowell Road
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
East McDowell Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
7
Turn right onto North Alma School Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Alma School Road
Use the right lane.
8
Turn left onto West McKellips Road
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
West McKellips Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto North Mesa Drive
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Mesa Drive
10
Turn left onto East University Drive
73 ft
·
1 sec
·
East University Drive
Use the left lane.
11
Arrive at destination
East University Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 10.3 — 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
5
5.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
North Alma School Road
Turn right onto North Alma School Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
6.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
West McKellips Road
Turn left onto West McKellips Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
East University Drive
Turn left onto East University Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.05 one way
$4.10 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $2.17 | $4.34 |
| premium | $5.59 | $2.27 | $4.53 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.27 | $4.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.08 | $0.49 |
| Efficient EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.90 | $0.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.44 | $0.66 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Mesa, AZ
Night in Mesa on Saturday
Local time
9:19 PM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
WSW 5 mph
0% chance
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
4 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
17m 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?
This route functions primarily as a turn-heavy local drive rather than a long-haul interstate cruise. Only 23% of your journey is spent on the highway, meaning you will spend the majority of your time navigating local surface streets. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs during the 2.3-mile segment on the Pima Freeway, which offers a brief moment of higher-speed travel. As you transition off the freeway onto local roads, the pace shifts significantly, requiring more attention to intersections and turns. Be prepared for a distinct change in rhythm as you leave the freeway and head into the local grid.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.3 mi on Pima Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 10.3 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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 5.5 miles (North Alma School Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,266 ft
1,192 ft
Total Climb
67 ft
Total Descent
83 ft
Highest Point
1,266 ft
~1.5 mi in
Elevation Range
74 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Scottsdale, AZ
Full guide →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.
Arriving in Mesa, AZ
Full guide →Mesa, population 518,000 (2019), is in Maricopa County. It is Arizona's third-largest city, and is part of the Greater Phoenix urban complex.
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 17m. Total distance: 10.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (23%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.3 miles on Pima Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles (North Alma School Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Mesa, 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.
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