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Trip from Show Low, AZ to Penzance, 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 10m

Distance

54.2 mi

87 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 5m ★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m

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

city in Navajo County, Arizona, United States of America

Show Low, AZ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Penzance, AZ, AZ

Penzance, AZ

Abhishek Navlakha

Trip Overview

Show Low to Penzance is 54.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes via Show Low-Holbrook Highway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Arizona's Desert Southwest region, offering a straightforward, same-day trip. Expect a local feel with a mix of road types as you navigate between these two points. Given its short duration, this route is ideal for a relaxed travel day, allowing for spontaneous stops if you choose.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Show Low-Holbrook Highway 37.1 mi 44m
Purple Heart Trail 4.1 mi 4m
North Penrod Road 3.5 mi 4m
South Main Street 2.9 mi 5m
Arizona State Highway 77 2 mi 2m
West Hopi Drive 1.7 mi 2m
Holbrook-Springerville Highway 1 mi 2m
East Deuce of Clubs 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Show Low-Holbrook Highway — 37.1 mi, about 44m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Show Low, AZ and Penzance, AZ.

1

Start on US 60; AZ 77; AZ 260

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Deuce of Clubs
2

Turn left onto AZ 77

3.5 mi · 4 min · North Penrod Road
3

Continue on AZ 77

11 mi · 13 min · Show Low-Holbrook Highway
4

Continue on AZ 77

0.4 mi · 52 sec · South Main Street
5

Continue on AZ 77

1.0 mi · 2 min · Show Low-Holbrook Highway
6

Continue on AZ 77

2.4 mi · 5 min · South Main Street
7

Continue on AZ 77

0.2 mi · 11 sec · Show Low-Holbrook Highway
8

Continue on AZ 77

2.0 mi · 2 min · Arizona State Highway 77
9

Continue on AZ 77

24 mi · 28 min · Show Low-Holbrook Highway
10

Continue on US 180; AZ 77

0.5 mi · 56 sec · Holbrook-Springerville Highway
11

Continue on US 180; AZ 77

0.2 mi · 20 sec · Navajo Boulevard
12

Turn left onto US 180; I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist

1.7 mi · 2 min · West Hopi Drive
13

Take the ramp onto US 180; I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist

0.5 mi · 1 min · Holbrook-Springerville Highway
14

Merge onto I 40; US 180

3.5 mi · 3 min · Purple Heart Trail
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Toward Hunt Road, Geronimo Road
16

Continue on this road

0.4 mi · 1 min · this road
17

Keep slight left at fork onto Main Street

0.1 mi · 37 sec · Main Street
18

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 34 sec
19

Merge onto I 40; US 180

0.7 mi · 39 sec · Purple Heart Trail
20

Arrive at destination

I 40; US 180

Where to Stop

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

single ice crystal or an aggregation of ice crystals which falls through the Earth's atmosphere

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Snowflake, AZ

27 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

Snowflake, AZ to Penzance, AZ

34.6 mi · 43m

Pacing Suggestions

Taylor, AZ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Snowflake, AZ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 27.1 miles from Show Low, 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 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 53.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in | AZ 77 / North Penrod Road

Turn left onto AZ 77 / North Penrod Road

Navigation decision point

4
47 mi into trip | ~59m in | US 180; I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist / West Hopi Drive

Turn left onto US 180; I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist / West Hopi Drive

Navigation decision point

5
52.6 mi into trip | ~1h 7m in

Take the exit toward Hunt Road, Geronimo Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Hunt Road, Geronimo Road
4
53.1 mi into trip | ~1h 8m in | Main Street

Keep slight left at fork onto Main Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
53.3 mi into trip | ~1h 9m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.80 one way

$21.59 round trip

$5.06/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.36 $11.43 $22.85
premium $5.59 $11.93 $23.86
diesel $5.61 $11.97 $23.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 19 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.3 0 $5.69 $2.60
Efficient EV 13.6 0 $4.74 $2.17
EV Truck/SUV 21.7 0 $7.59 $3.47

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 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 15, 2026

Origin

Show Low, AZ

Late night in Show Low on Sunday

Local time

1:02 AM

MST

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Penzance, AZ

Late night in Penzance on Sunday

Local time

1:02 AM

MST

Current temp

39°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

29 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

1h 10m 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 a turn-heavy local drive, with a significant portion on local roads rather than high-speed highways. Only 4% of this route is on highways, meaning you'll be navigating more through community areas. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 37.1 miles along the Show Low-Holbrook Highway. As you progress, the roads will transition, so be prepared for varied driving conditions and potentially more frequent turns as you approach your destination.

Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 37.1 mi on Show Low-Holbrook Highway.

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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near AZ 77 / North Penrod Road.

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 54.2 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 0.7 miles (AZ 77 / North Penrod Road): Navigation decision point; at 47 miles (US 180; I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist / West Hopi Drive): Navigation decision point; at 52.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

About the Cities

Starting in Show Low, AZ

Full guide →

Show Low is a town in Eastern 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 1h 10m. Total distance: 54.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (4%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 37.1 miles on Show Low-Holbrook Highway. 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 0.7 miles (AZ 77 / North Penrod Road): Navigation decision point; at 47 miles (US 180; I 40 Bus; US 66 Hist / West Hopi Drive): Navigation decision point; at 52.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Petrified Forest 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 Penzance, 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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