Trip from Sells, AZ to Tucson, AZ

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 23m

Distance

63.5 mi

102 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min

4 AM

1h 17m ★

6 AM

1h 23m

8 AM

1h 36m

10 AM

1h 28m

12 PM

1h 27m

3 PM

1h 29m

5 PM

1h 36m

8 PM

1h 19m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Sells, AZ

András Nyemczovszky

city in and county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States

Tucson, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Sells, AZ to Tucson, AZ is 63.5 miles and takes about 1h 23m via West Tucson-Ajo Highway, with a fuel budget near $13 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Desert Southwest region, connecting two points in Arizona. Expect a straightforward trip primarily on surface roads, making it a practical option for a quick transit or a relaxed excursion. The route is well within the capabilities of a single day, so you won't need to plan for an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
West Tucson-Ajo Highway	32.8 mi	38m
West Ajo Highway	23 mi	28m
West 22nd Street	1.7 mi	2m
West Ajo Way	1.2 mi	2m
East Broadway Boulevard	1 mi	2m
Nogales–Tucson Highway	0.7 mi	<1m
South Freeway Road	0.7 mi	1m
South Kino Parkway	0.6 mi	1m

Longest stretch: West Tucson-Ajo Highway — 32.8 mi, about 38m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sells, AZ and Tucson, AZ.

Start on this road

0.2 mi · 46 sec · this road

At end of road, turn right onto Main Road

257 ft · 17 sec · Main Road

Turn left

0.1 mi · 28 sec

Continue on this road

0.2 mi · 48 sec · this road

Turn right onto AZ 86

33 mi · 38 min · West Tucson-Ajo Highway

Continue on AZ 86

23 mi · 28 min · West Ajo Highway

Continue on AZ 86

1.2 mi · 2 min · West Ajo Way

Use the left lane.

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 55 sec

Merge onto I 19

0.7 mi · 59 sec · Nogales–Tucson Highway

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 30 sec

Exit 102 Toward 29th Street/22nd Street, Silverlake Road, Starr Pass Boulevard Use the slight right lane.

Continue on South Freeway Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Freeway Road

Turn right onto West 22nd Street

1.7 mi · 2 min · West 22nd Street

Turn slight left

0.3 mi · 50 sec

Turn straight onto South Kino Parkway

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Kino Parkway

Continue on South Campbell Avenue

0.3 mi · 33 sec · South Campbell Avenue

Turn right onto East Broadway Boulevard

1.0 mi · 2 min · East Broadway Boulevard

Use the right lane.

Turn left onto North Country Club Road

131 ft · 8 sec · North Country Club Road

Arrive at destination

North Country Club Road

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Drexel Heights, AZ

32 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Popular next leg

Drexel Heights, AZ to Tucson, AZ

11 mi · 20m

Pacing Suggestions

First break window

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Three Points, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 31.8 miles from Sells, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 62.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | Main Road

At end of road, turn right onto Main Road

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

0.2 mi into trip | ~1m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

0.6 mi into trip | ~2m in | AZ 86 / West Tucson-Ajo Highway

Turn right onto AZ 86 / West Tucson-Ajo Highway

Navigation decision point

58.7 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Keep slight right at fork toward 29th Street/22nd Street, Silverlake Road, Starr Pass Boulevard

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 102 Toward 29th Street/22nd Street, Silverlake Road...

62.5 mi into trip | ~1h 20m in | East Broadway Boulevard

Turn right onto East Broadway Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$12.65 one way

$25.30 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$5.36	$13.39	$26.78
premium	$5.59	$13.98	$27.96
diesel	$5.61	$14.02	$28.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$13

Estimated CO2 emission: 22.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	19.1	$6.67	$3.05
Efficient EV	15.9	$5.56	$2.54
EV Truck/SUV	25.4	$8.89	$4.06

Gas CO2

22 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (68% 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 19, 2026

Origin

Sells, AZ

Late night in Sells on Sunday

Local time

12:46 AM

MST

Current temp

59°F

Partly Cloudy

NE 6 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 12:22PM MST until April 19 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 12:22PM MST until April 19 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ

Destination

Tucson, AZ

Late night in Tucson on Sunday

Local time

12:46 AM

MST

Current temp

61°F

Mostly Clear

E 7 to 13 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 12:22PM MST until April 19 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 12:22PM MST until April 19 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Tucson AZ

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

2 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

1h 23m 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 drive is mostly on surface roads, with only a 2% highway share. You'll spend the bulk of your time navigating local streets and avenues. The longest continuous stretch on West Tucson-Ajo Highway measures 32.8 miles, offering a sense of steady progress before you transition to West 22nd Street. Be prepared for merging traffic as you approach Tucson.

Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.

18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 32.8 mi on West Tucson-Ajo Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Main Road.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 23m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Main Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (AZ 86 / West Tucson-Ajo Highway): Navigation decision point.

About the Cities

Arriving in Tucson, AZ

Full guide →

Tucson (TOO-sawn), also known as the "Old Pueblo", is the second-largest city in the state of Arizona and the county seat of Pima County in the Sonoran Desert. It is at a higher elevation than nearby Phoenix and is correspondingly cooler. Although with half a million residents it is smaller than the capital city, its cultural life is just as vibrant.

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 1h 23m. Total distance: 63.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (2%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 32.8 miles on West Tucson-Ajo Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 8 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

Yes — Saguaro National Park. 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 Tucson, 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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Return Trip

Tucson, AZ to Sells, AZ

Plan the drive back the other way.

63.3 mi 1h 24m

Explore more options from Sells, AZ or browse trips ending in Tucson, AZ.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AZ road trips.

Trip from Sells, AZ to Tucson, AZ

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Sells, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Same local time

2 degrees warmer at arrival

1h 23m on the road

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

About the Cities

Arriving in Tucson, AZ

Who Is This Route For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which road carries most of the drive?

Are there rest areas on this route?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Where does this route get tricky?

Are there national parks near this route?

Can I do this as a round trip in one go?

How this page is built

Explore More

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