Origin
Sun City, AZ
Late night in Sun City on Sunday
Local time
1:45 AM
MST
Current temp
92°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sun City, AZ to Phoenix, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
16 mi
26 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sun City, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Phoenix, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Sun City to Phoenix covers a short 23.5-mile distance that typically takes around 28 minutes to complete. Because this is a quick local transit within the Desert Southwest, a single day is more than enough time to finish the trip. You can expect to spend roughly $5 on fuel for this straightforward commute. Since you won't need to stay overnight, this route offers maximum flexibility for your schedule. Navigating through the city via Grand Avenue, West Van Buren Street, and North 1st Avenue keeps you on local roads for the entire duration.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Avenue | 15.1 mi | 26m |
| West Van Buren Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North 1st Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Adams Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Washington Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Washington Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Grand Avenue
— 15.1 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sun City, AZ and Phoenix, AZ.
1
Start on US 60
23 ft
·
2 sec
·
Grand Avenue
2
Continue on US 60
12 mi
·
20 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on Grand Avenue
3.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left / right / straight lanes.
4
Turn left onto US 80 Hist
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Van Buren Street
5
Turn slight right onto North 1st Avenue
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
North 1st Avenue
6
Turn left onto West Adams Street
0.1 mi
·
40 sec
·
West Adams Street
7
Turn right onto North 1st Street
408 ft
·
18 sec
·
North 1st Street
8
Turn right onto East Washington Street
453 ft
·
15 sec
·
East Washington Street
9
Arrive at destination
West Washington Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 15.1 and 15.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
15.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
US 80 Hist / West Van Buren Street
Turn left onto US 80 Hist / West Van Buren Street
Navigation decision point
4
15.6 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
West Adams Street
Turn left onto West Adams Street
Navigation decision point
5
15.8 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
North 1st Street
Turn right onto North 1st Street
Navigation decision point
4
15.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
East Washington Street
Turn right onto East Washington Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.19 one way
$6.37 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $3.37 | $6.75 |
| premium | $5.59 | $3.52 | $7.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.53 | $7.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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 Sunday
Local time
1:45 AM
MST
Current temp
61°F
Mostly Clear
SSE 0 to 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:31AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:31AM 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
31 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
29m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than an open highway experience, as this route features zero percent highway travel. You will navigate a series of city streets that require constant attention to traffic lights and urban intersections. Because the path is entirely local, there is no long-distance, uninterrupted stretch of road to settle into. Instead, the character of the drive remains consistent as you transition from the residential feel of Sun City into the heart of Phoenix. The lack of high-speed lanes means you should anticipate a slower, stop-and-go pace throughout the entire 28-minute journey.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.1 mi on Grand Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 15.1 miles in near US 80 Hist / West Van Buren Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 29m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 15.1 miles (US 80 Hist / West Van Buren Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.6 miles (West Adams Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.8 miles (North 1st Street): Navigation decision point.
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 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 29m. Total distance: 16 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.1 miles on Grand Avenue. 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 15.1 miles (US 80 Hist / West Van Buren Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.6 miles (West Adams Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.8 miles (North 1st Street): Navigation decision point.
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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