Origin
Scottsdale, AZ
Late night in Scottsdale on Tuesday
Local time
2:12 AM
MST
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Scottsdale, AZ to Phoenix, 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
25m
Distance
14.1 mi
23 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Scottsdale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Phoenix, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting Scottsdale and Phoenix is a straightforward 18.2-mile journey that typically takes about 22 minutes to complete. Because this trip is entirely within the Desert Southwest, you won't experience any major shifts in regional landscape. It is perfectly suited as a one-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight lodging or splitting your travel time. With fuel costs estimated at just $4, this commute is highly economical for those looking to move between the two cities quickly. Whether you are traveling for business or a local outing, this brief drive offers a simple, efficient connection between these two hubs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East McDowell Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Red Mountain Freeway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| North 64th Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| East Chaparral Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| North Goldwater Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| North 7th Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| East Indian School Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Papago Freeway | 0.7 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East McDowell Road
— 2.2 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scottsdale, AZ and Phoenix, AZ.
1
Start on this road
64 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto East Chaparral Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
East Chaparral Road
3
Turn left onto North Scottsdale Road
216 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Scottsdale Road
Use the left lane.
4
Turn slight right onto North Goldwater Boulevard
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Goldwater Boulevard
Toward North Goldwater Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto East Indian School Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Indian School Road
6
Turn left onto North 64th Street
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
North 64th Street
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto East McDowell Road
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
East McDowell Road
Use the right lane.
8
Turn left onto AZ 143
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Hohokam Expressway
Toward AZ 202 Loop West, AZ 143 South
Use the left lane.
9
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 5
Toward AZ 202 Loop West
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Red Mountain Freeway
11
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 10 West
Use the slight left lane.
12
Merge onto I 10
0.7 mi
·
50 sec
·
Papago Freeway
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 145A
Toward 7th Street
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward 7th Street South, Downtown Cultural/Sports Facilitles
Use the left lane.
15
Turn straight onto North 7th Street
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
North 7th Street
16
Turn right onto East Washington Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Washington Street
17
Arrive at destination
West Washington Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 7.4 and 12.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
7.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
AZ 143 / Hohokam Expressway
Turn left onto AZ 143 / Hohokam Expressway toward AZ 202 Loop West, AZ 143 South
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward AZ 202 Loop West, AZ 143 South
7
7.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward AZ 202 Loop West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5
Toward AZ 202 Loop West
6
10.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 10 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 10 West
7
12.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward 7th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 145A
Toward 7th Street
9
12.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight left at fork toward 7th Street South, Downtown Cultural/Sports Facilitles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward 7th Street South, Downtown Cultural/Spor...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.81 one way
$5.62 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $2.97 | $5.95 |
| premium | $5.59 | $3.10 | $6.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.11 | $6.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.48 | $0.68 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.23 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Phoenix, AZ
Late night in Phoenix on Tuesday
Local time
2:12 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
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
25m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features 0% highway share. Your path will primarily utilize East Chaparral Road, North Scottsdale Road, and North Goldwater Boulevard to navigate between the cities. Since there are no highway miles, you will spend your time on surface streets, with the longest stretch being 0 miles on East Chaparral Road. You should prepare for a steady pace through local traffic patterns rather than the open-road cruising found on major freeways. This route requires your full attention at intersections and turns as you transition across the metropolitan area.
Only 21% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.2 mi on East McDowell Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 7.4 miles in near AZ 143 / Hohokam Expressway.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 14.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.4 miles (AZ 143 / Hohokam Expressway): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Scottsdale, AZ and Phoenix, AZ, road signs point toward 7Th Street South and Cultural/Sports Facilitles.
7Th Street South
12.5 mi in
|
~21m
Cultural/Sports Facilitles
12.5 mi in
|
~21m
About the Cities
Starting in Scottsdale, AZ
Full guide →Founded 1894
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.
Top landmarks
- • Taliesin West — Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
- • Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art — art museum
- • Little Red Schoolhouse — now used as the Scottsdale Historical Museum, NRHP-listed
Arriving in Phoenix, AZ
Full guide →Founded 1868
Phoenix is the capital of the state of Arizona, the most populous city in the American Southwest. Warm and sunny winter weather have ensured a thriving tourism industry, and the city has become the region's primary political, cultural, economic, and transportation center. Phoenix is extremely hot and dry in the summertime, so always have sunscreen with you! It had about 1,625,000 residents in 2021, and is the fifth largest city in the United States.
Top landmarks
- • Arizona State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Arizona
- • Phoenix Art Museum — art museum in Phoenix, Arizona
- • St. Mary's Basilica — Roman Catholic church in Phoenix, Arizona
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 25m. Total distance: 14.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.2 miles on East McDowell 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 Phoenix, 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 7.4 miles (AZ 143 / Hohokam Expressway): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.5 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 Phoenix, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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