Traveling from Surprise to Globe covers 114.4 miles through the heart of the Desert Southwest. Expect a drive time of approximately 2 hours and 28 minutes, making this an ideal one-day excursion. You will primarily utilize the Papago Freeway, US 60, and the Phoenix–Globe Highway to navigate between these two Arizona hubs. With a estimated fuel cost of $23, it is a budget-friendly trip that fits easily into a single afternoon or morning. Because the transit is relatively straightforward, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics, allowing you to focus on the transition from the suburban outskirts of the Valley into the unique terrain surrounding Globe.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
57.2 miles from Surprise, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 10m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Phoenix–Globe Highway
43 mi
55m
US 60
31.9 mi
39m
Papago Freeway
14.9 mi
17m
Agua Fria Freeway
8.9 mi
10m
Maricopa Freeway
4.8 mi
5m
Grand Avenue
4.6 mi
7m
North Broad Street
2.1 mi
4m
Live Oak Street
1.9 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
Phoenix–Globe Highway
— 43 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Surprise, AZ and Globe, AZ.
1
Start on North Nash Street
0.3 mi·53 sec·North Nash Street
2
At end of road, turn left onto West Santa Fe Drive
0.3 mi·36 sec·West Santa Fe Drive
3
Turn right onto West Greenway Road
217 ft·7 sec·West Greenway Road
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left onto US 60
4.6 mi·7 min·Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi·47 sec
Toward AZ 101 Loop South
6
Merge onto AZ 101 Loop
8.9 mi·10 min·Agua Fria Freeway
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi·1 min
Exit 1BToward I 10 East: PhoenixUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 10
10 mi·12 min·Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi·35 sec·Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
10
Continue on I 10
3.2 mi·3 min·Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
1.2 mi·1 min·Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 10; US 60
4.8 mi·5 min·Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit onto US 60
28 mi·32 min·US 60
Exit 154Toward US 60 East: Mesa, GlobeUse the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on US 60; US 80 Hist
43 mi·55 min·Phoenix–Globe Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
15
Continue on US 60
1.9 mi·3 min·Live Oak Street
16
Continue on US 60
4.0 mi·7 min·US 60
17
Continue on US 60
1.4 mi·2 min·North Broad Street
18
Turn left onto North Broad Street
0.6 mi·1 min·North Broad Street
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto West Cottonwood Street
44 ft·1 sec·West Cottonwood Street
20
Arrive at destination
West Cottonwood Street
Trip Plan
Since this is a manageable 114.4-mile trek, you have the flexibility to depart whenever suits your schedule best. Keep in mind that since there are no designated stops programmed into this specific route, you should ensure your vehicle is fueled up before leaving Surprise to avoid unnecessary detours. Budgeting $23 for gas is a good baseline, though keeping a little extra on hand for the unexpected is always a smart road trip habit. Because the longest stretch is 43 miles long, plan your hydration and comfort breaks accordingly to ensure you stay sharp behind the wheel. Given the moderate duration, try to time your departure to avoid peak Phoenix-area traffic to make your transition onto the US 60 as smooth as possible.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 57.2 miles from Surprise, AZ, or about 1h 10m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 43 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 25 miles or 33m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 57.2 miles or 1h 10m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Globe, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Surprise, AZ so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Surprise, AZ
This is one driving day of about 114.4 miles and 2h 28m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 miles from Surprise, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Phoenix–Globe Highway for about 43 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 35.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|West Santa Fe Drive
At end of road, turn left onto West Santa Fe Drive
Navigation decision point
7
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|West Greenway Road
Turn right onto West Greenway Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
14.5 mi into trip|~20m 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
29.5 mi into trip|~38m 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
35.5 mi into trip|~45m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$22.79 one way
$45.58 round trip
$5.06/gal25.4 MPG avg40 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.36
$24.12
$48.24
premium
$5.59
$25.18
$50.36
diesel
$5.61
$25.26
$50.52
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 40 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
34.3
0
$12.01
$5.49
Efficient EV
28.6
0
$10.01
$4.58
EV Truck/SUV
45.8
0
$16.02
$7.32
Gas CO2
40 kg
EV CO2
13 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
Surprise, AZ
Night
in Surprise on Saturday
Local time
9:14 PM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Globe, AZ
Night
in Globe on Saturday
Local time
9:14 PM
MST
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
35 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
2h 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
National Monument
An Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether a gathering place for people or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of...
Located within the northern range of the Sonoran Desert lie two cliff dwellings that were occupied from 1300-1450 CE (common era). They represent a vibrant culture consisting of local and immigrant gr...
22 mi from route
~55 min detour
$10
near mile 102.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This mixed drive offers a blend of urban navigation and highway cruising, with 53% of your journey spent on highways. You will settle into a rhythm on the Phoenix–Globe Highway, which features the route's longest uninterrupted stretch of 43 miles. Behind the wheel, you can expect the environment to shift as you move away from the metropolitan freeway systems and onto more regional thoroughfares. The road personality transitions from fast-paced transit corridors to a more consistent highway experience, providing a balanced pace that keeps the drive engaging without being overly technical.
53% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 43 mi on Phoenix–Globe Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near West Santa Fe Drive.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 12 significant decision points across 114.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (West Santa Fe Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (West Greenway Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Globe is in the Mogollon Rim in Eastern Arizona. Globe was founded in 1875 as a mining town, and still is dependent on mining. The town has many well-preserved buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and can make a pleasant stop.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 28m. Total distance: 114.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (53%). 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 43 miles on Phoenix–Globe Highway. 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 Globe, AZ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (West Santa Fe Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (West Greenway Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Tonto 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 Globe, AZ before heading back.
