Origin
Scottsdale, AZ
Late night in Scottsdale on Sunday
Local time
1:53 AM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Scottsdale, AZ to San Carlos, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
14.5 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 19m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Scottsdale, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
San Carlos, AZ
Andrea Hinojosa
Trip Overview
Scottsdale, AZ to San Carlos, AZ is 14.5 miles and takes about 20 minutes via Price Freeway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This brief journey stays within the Desert Southwest region, primarily on well-maintained freeways. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick trip, allowing ample time for exploration at your destination. You'll find the drive straightforward and efficient, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Price Freeway | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Pima Freeway | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| East Elliot Road | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| East Chaparral Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Hartford Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Price Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Price Freeway
— 5.4 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scottsdale, AZ and San Carlos, 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
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Pima Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on AZ 101 Loop
5.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Price Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 57
Toward Elliot Road
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto North Price Road
394 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Price Road
8
Turn left onto East Elliot Road
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
East Elliot Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto North Hartford Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
North Hartford Street
10
Turn right
141 ft
·
13 sec
11
Turn right
102 ft
·
7 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 14.5 — 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
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
11.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward Elliot Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 57
Toward Elliot Road
4
11.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
East Elliot Road
Turn left onto East Elliot Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
14.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.89 one way
$5.78 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $3.06 | $6.11 |
| premium | $5.59 | $3.19 | $6.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.20 | $6.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.52 | $0.70 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.27 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.03 | $0.93 |
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
San Carlos, AZ
Late night in San Carlos on Sunday
Local time
1:53 AM
MST
Current temp
89°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
20m 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 is largely a highway-focused drive, with 71% of the route utilizing major freeways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 5.4 miles on the Price Freeway, offering a consistent pace. The primary roads include the Price Freeway, Pima Freeway, and East Elliot Road, suggesting a mix of high-speed travel and potentially some local road transitions. Expect a smooth and direct experience for most of this short trip.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.4 mi on Price Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Price Freeway and Pima Freeway. You will hit about 8 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 14.5 miles you will encounter 8 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 1 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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
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 20m. Total distance: 14.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.4 miles on Price 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 1 miles (AZ 101 Loop / Pima Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.3 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 San Carlos, 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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