Origin
Sun City, AZ
Late night in Sun City on Sunday
Local time
1:51 AM
MST
Current temp
92°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sun City, AZ to Chandler, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
44.6 mi
72 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sun City, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Chandler, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Sun City, AZ to Chandler, AZ is 44.6 miles and takes about 56 minutes via Papago Freeway, Agua Fria Freeway, and US 60, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, single-day trip within the Desert Southwest, connecting two points in Arizona. Expect a drive that is mostly on major freeways, making it a practical option for getting from one area to another efficiently. Given its relatively short duration, it’s an easy addition to a longer itinerary or a convenient way to navigate between these specific urban centers.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Papago Freeway | 14.9 mi | 17m |
| Agua Fria Freeway | 8.9 mi | 10m |
| US 60 | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| Maricopa Freeway | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| North Arizona Avenue | 4 mi | 6m |
| South Country Club Drive | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Grand Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Papago Freeway
— 14.9 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sun City, AZ and Chandler, AZ.
1
Start on US 60
23 ft
·
2 sec
·
Grand Avenue
2
Continue on US 60
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop South
4
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Agua Fria Freeway
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1B
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 10
10 mi
·
12 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
8
Continue on I 10
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 10; US 60
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit onto US 60
7.6 mi
·
8 min
·
US 60
Exit 154
Toward US 60 East: Mesa, Globe
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 179
Toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Chandler
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn right onto AZ 87
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Country Club Drive
Use the right lane.
14
Continue on AZ 87
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
North Arizona Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Turn left onto East Chandler Boulevard
149 ft
·
12 sec
·
East Chandler Boulevard
Use the left lane.
16
Arrive at destination
East Chandler Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.3 miles from Sun City, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 38.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward AZ 101 Loop South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward AZ 101 Loop South
8
10 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
6
25 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
I 10 / Papago Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 / Papago Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
31 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
US 60
Take the exit onto US 60 toward US 60 East: Mesa, Globe
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 154
Toward US 60 East: Mesa, Globe
8
38.7 mi into trip
|
~46m in
Take the exit toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Chandler
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 179
Toward AZ 87: Country Club Drive, Chandler
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.88 one way
$17.77 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $9.40 | $18.81 |
| premium | $5.59 | $9.82 | $19.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.85 | $19.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.68 | $2.14 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.90 | $1.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.24 | $2.85 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Chandler, AZ
Late night in Chandler on Sunday
Local time
1:51 AM
MST
Current temp
89°F
Partly Sunny
S 0 to 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 3:13AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 3:13AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
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
3 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
56m 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 is a highway-focused drive, with 81% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll experience the character of a freeway commute, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 14.9 miles on the Papago Freeway. The drive primarily follows the Papago Freeway, then transitions to the Agua Fria Freeway before merging onto US 60. Expect consistent traffic flow typical of urban freeway travel within the Desert Southwest region.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.9 mi on Papago Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Papago Freeway and Agua Fria Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 10 decision points packed into just 44.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 10 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
On the drive from Sun City, AZ to Chandler, AZ, road signs begin pointing toward Globe along the way.
Globe
31 mi in
|
~37m
|
via US 60
About the Cities
Starting in Sun City, AZ
Full guide →Sun City is a suburb 20 miles (30km) northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was built as a planned retirement community in Maricopa County in the 1960s. An adjacent retirement community Sun City West was built in the late 1970s; there is also a Sun City Grand. Directly northwest of the three "Sun City" suburbs is Surprise, Arizona.
Arriving in Chandler, AZ
Full guide →Founded 1912
Chandler is a city in Arizona, and a medium-sized suburb of Phoenix with over 240,000 residents. It is a delightful place to visit.
Top landmarks
- • McCullough-Price House — 1938 pueblo revival home in Chandler, Arizona
- • San Marcos Hotel — Historic place in Chandler, Ariona
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 56m. Total distance: 44.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.9 miles on Papago Freeway. 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 Chandler, 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 0.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 10 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25 miles (I 10 / Papago Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. 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 Chandler, 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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