Surprise, AZ to Nogales, AZ is 204.1 miles and takes about 3h 45m via Nogales–Tucson Highway, Casa Grande-Tucson Highway, and Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway, with a fuel budget near $42 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Desert Southwest region, connecting two points in Arizona. You'll primarily be on surface roads for this trip, making it a more scenic, albeit slower, option than a pure highway route. With only one recommended stop, it's a straightforward drive that can easily be completed in a single day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
102 miles from Surprise, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 54m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Nogales–Tucson Highway
57.7 mi
1h 1m
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.6 mi
55m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
37.8 mi
38m
Papago Freeway
14.9 mi
17m
Maricopa Freeway
12.3 mi
14m
Agua Fria Freeway
8.9 mi
10m
North Freeway
5.4 mi
6m
I 19 BUS
4.7 mi
7m
Longest stretch:
Nogales–Tucson Highway
— 57.7 mi, about 1h 1m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Surprise, AZ and Nogales, 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
12 mi·14 min·Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 10
38 mi·38 min·Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 10
55 mi·55 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 10
5.4 mi·6 min·North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.5 mi·37 sec
Exit 260Toward I 19 South: NogalesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on I 19
58 mi·1 hr 1 min·Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit onto I 19 BUS
4.7 mi·7 min·I 19 BUS
Exit 8Toward I 19 Business: Grand Avenue
19
Turn left
129 ft·7 sec
20
Turn right onto North Morley Avenue
0.3 mi·1 min·North Morley Avenue
21
Turn left onto North Wayside Drive
91 ft·3 sec·North Wayside Drive
22
Arrive at destination
North Wayside Drive
Trip Plan
Given the 3h 45m duration, leaving Surprise, AZ in the morning will give you ample time to reach Nogales, AZ before dark. You'll only need one stop, so consider breaking up the 57.7-mile stretch on the Nogales–Tucson Highway for fuel or a quick break. The fuel cost is estimated at $42, so ensure you have enough for the 204.1-mile drive. Since this is a single-day trip, you have flexibility; however, be aware that the 'mostly surface roads' profile means you might encounter unexpected delays.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 102 miles from Surprise, AZ, or about 1h 54m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 57.7 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 45 miles or 56m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 102 miles or 1h 54m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 2m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Nogales, 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 204.1 miles and 3h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 45 miles from Surprise, AZ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Nogales–Tucson Highway for about 57.7 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 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 140.9 — 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.
7
140.9 mi into trip|~2h 34m in
Take the exit toward I 19 South: Nogales
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 260
Toward I 19 South: Nogales
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$36.17 one way
$72.33 round trip
$4.50/gal25.4 MPG avg71 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.82
$38.73
$77.46
premium
$5.04
$40.51
$81.03
diesel
$4.80
$38.54
$77.08
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$36
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$61–$86
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 71.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
61.2
0
$21.43
$9.80
Efficient EV
51
0
$17.86
$8.16
EV Truck/SUV
81.6
1
$28.57
$13.06
Gas CO2
71 kg
EV CO2
24 kg (66% 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 Jul 14, 2026
Origin
Surprise, AZ
Late night
in Surprise on Sunday
Local time
1:17 AM
MST
Current temp
82°F
Partly Cloudy
ENE 0 to 5 mph9% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 11:48PM MST until July 16 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ
Destination
Nogales, AZ
Late night
in Nogales on Sunday
Local time
1:17 AM
MST
Current temp
69°F
Partly Cloudy
SE 3 mph9% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 11:48PM MST until July 16 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ
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
13 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
3h 45m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Tumacácori sits at a cultural crossroads in the Santa Cruz River valley. Here O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met and mingled with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers...
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...
11 mi from route
~27 min detour
Free
near mile 70.4
Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are pr...
13 mi from route
~32 min detour
$25
near mile 140.7
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 23% highway share, meaning most of your time will be spent on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch without a highway is 57.7 miles on the Nogales–Tucson Highway. Expect a mix of driving conditions, with more urban merging and dense exits as you leave Surprise and approach the Phoenix area, transitioning to more rural cruising as you head south. The profile indicates mostly surface roads, so plan for traffic lights and varying speed limits.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 57.7 mi on Nogales–Tucson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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 14 significant decision points across 204.1 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.
Nogales is a city divided by the US-México border, which runs through the middle of town on what was International Street. The city is one of the most important border crossings between Mexico and the USA by all measures.
This portion of the city is in South Central Arizona; see Nogales (Sonora) for the portion in Sonora, Mexico.
Top landmarks
•Nogales-Morley Gate Port of Entry — historic inspection station in Nogales, Arizona, USA
•United States Post Office and Immigration Station–Nogales Main — building in Nogales, Arizona that was built in 1923
•S.H. Kress & Co. Building — historic building in Nogales, Arizona, USA
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 45m. Total distance: 204.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 57.7 miles on Nogales–Tucson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 26 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Nogales, 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. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 26 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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 — Tumacácori National Historical Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Saguaro National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.5 hours — manageable with a long break at Nogales, AZ, but most travelers stay overnight.
