Origin
Sun Lakes, AZ
Late night in Sun Lakes on Sunday
Local time
3:03 AM
MST
Current temp
90°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sun Lakes, AZ to Tempe Junction, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
18.8 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sun Lakes, AZ
Kris Møklebust
Tempe Junction, AZ
Abhishek Navlakha
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion through the Desert Southwest, the 18.8-mile stretch from Sun Lakes to Tempe Junction is a straightforward trip. You can expect to spend about 28 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting around $4 for fuel will cover your transit across the region. The route utilizes a combination of the Maricopa Freeway, the Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway, and East Riggs Road. Because the drive is short, it offers excellent flexibility for your schedule, allowing you to easily complete the journey in under half an hour.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maricopa Freeway | 5.8 mi | 6m |
| Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway | 5.5 mi | 6m |
| East Riggs Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| South Priest Drive | 2 mi | 4m |
| West Broadway Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Roosevelt Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West 13th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Dobson Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Maricopa Freeway
— 5.8 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sun Lakes, AZ and Tempe Junction, AZ.
1
Start on East Bud Court
144 ft
·
10 sec
·
East Bud Court
2
Turn left onto South Glenburn Drive
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
South Glenburn Drive
3
Turn left onto East Foster Avenue
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
East Foster Avenue
4
Turn left onto East Palomino Place
182 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Palomino Place
5
Turn right onto South Dobson Road
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
South Dobson Road
6
Turn left onto East Riggs Road
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
East Riggs Road
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 10 West: Phoenix
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto I 10
5.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
5.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Exit 155
Toward Baseline Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto West Baseline Road
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
West Baseline Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto South Priest Drive
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
South Priest Drive
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto West Broadway Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Broadway Road
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto South Roosevelt Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Roosevelt Street
Use the left lane.
15
At end of road, turn right onto West 13th Street
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
West 13th Street
16
Arrive at destination
West 13th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 17.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
East Riggs Road
Turn left onto East Riggs Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.1 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 West: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 10 West: Phoenix
7
14.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Baseline Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 155
Toward Baseline Road
6
15.3 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
South Priest Drive
Turn left onto South Priest Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
17.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
West Broadway Road
Turn right onto West Broadway Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.75 one way
$7.49 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $3.96 | $7.93 |
| premium | $5.59 | $4.14 | $8.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.15 | $8.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.65 | $0.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Tempe Junction, AZ
Late night in Tempe Junction on Sunday
Local time
3:03 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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
28m 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 drive features a mixed profile that transitions between local roads and faster highway segments. You will spend roughly 31% of your time on highways, with your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 5.8 miles on the Maricopa Freeway. Expect a shift in pace as you move from the quieter streets of Sun Lakes toward the busier connections near Tempe Junction. The combination of surface roads and freeway driving keeps the experience varied, though the limited distance ensures you are never stuck in a long, monotonous grind. It is a practical, utilitarian route that gets you to your destination efficiently.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.8 mi on Maricopa Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near East Riggs Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 18.8 miles you will encounter 13 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 (East Riggs Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 18.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.8 miles on Maricopa 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 Tempe Junction, 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 0.6 miles (East Riggs Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Tempe Junction, 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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