Origin
Surprise, AZ
Late night in Surprise on Tuesday
Local time
2:19 AM
MST
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Surprise, AZ to Anthem, AZ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
28.6 mi
46 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Surprise, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Anthem, AZ
cottonbro studio
Trip Overview
This straightforward 28.6-mile drive from Surprise, AZ to Anthem, AZ is easily manageable as a day trip, taking approximately 40 minutes. You'll primarily be on major roadways like Bob Stump Memorial Parkway and the Black Canyon Freeway, with 71% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this short hop is around $6, making it an economical choice. Given its proximity within the Desert Southwest region of Arizona, this route is best suited for a quick transit rather than an overnight stay, offering a convenient connection between two nearby communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Stump Memorial Parkway | 14.8 mi | 17m |
| Black Canyon Freeway | 5.6 mi | 5m |
| North El Mirage Road | 5 mi | 8m |
| West Paradise Lane | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North 41st Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West Anthem Way | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Nash Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
— 14.8 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Surprise, AZ and Anthem, AZ.
1
Start on North Nash Street
88 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Nash Street
2
Turn right onto West Paradise Lane
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Paradise Lane
3
At end of road, turn left onto North El Mirage Road
5.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North El Mirage Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
2 min
Toward AZ 303 Loop North
5
Merge onto AZ 303 Loop
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Bob Stump Memorial Parkway
6
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 17 North: Flagstaff
Use the straight lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Toward I 17 North: Flagstaff
8
Merge onto I 17
5.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Black Canyon Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 229
Toward Anthem Way
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto West Anthem Way
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
West Anthem Way
11
Turn slight left
291 ft
·
16 sec
12
Turn left onto North 41st Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
North 41st Drive
13
Turn left
78 ft
·
6 sec
14
Turn right
241 ft
·
17 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 27.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North El Mirage Road
At end of road, turn left onto North El Mirage Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
5.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the ramp toward AZ 303 Loop North
Navigation decision point
Toward AZ 303 Loop North
6
20.8 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward I 17 North: Flagstaff
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 17 North: Flagstaff
5
21.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 17 North: Flagstaff
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 17 North: Flagstaff
7
27.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward Anthem Way
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 229
Toward Anthem Way
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.70 one way
$11.39 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $6.03 | $12.06 |
| premium | $5.59 | $6.30 | $12.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.31 | $12.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.50 | $1.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.4 | 0 | $4.00 | $1.83 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Anthem, AZ
Late night in Anthem on Tuesday
Local time
2:19 AM
MST
Current temp
53°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
6 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
40m 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?
Expect a highway-focused drive for the majority of this 40-minute trip. With 71% of the route utilizing highways, you'll experience stretches of consistent speed. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 14.8 miles along Bob Stump Memorial Parkway. While largely a highway experience, you will also navigate parts of North El Mirage Road, offering a slight variation in road type. The overall feel is one of efficient travel, connecting you between destinations with minimal fuss.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.8 mi on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway and Black Canyon Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near North El Mirage Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 28.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (North El Mirage Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 20.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Surprise, 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.
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 40m. Total distance: 28.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.8 miles on Bob Stump Memorial Parkway. 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 Anthem, 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 0.5 miles (North El Mirage Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 20.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Anthem, 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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