Origin
Tempe Junction, AZ
Late night in Tempe Junction on Tuesday
Local time
3:38 AM
MST
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tempe Junction, AZ to Buckeye, 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
58m
Distance
45.2 mi
73 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tempe Junction, AZ
Abhishek Navlakha
Buckeye, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Tempe Junction to Buckeye, you are looking at a straightforward 45.2-mile journey across the Desert Southwest. Expect to spend about 58 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip that requires no overnight stops. Your route will primarily utilize the Red Mountain Freeway, the Papago Freeway, and the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway to navigate the region. With a fuel budget of approximately $9, this trip is quite economical for those moving between these two Arizona locations. Since the entire drive stays within the same desert region, you will find a consistent landscape throughout your transit. It is a practical, no-nonsense commute that allows for significant flexibility in your daily schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Papago Freeway | 21 mi | 24m |
| Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway | 9.9 mi | 10m |
| Red Mountain Freeway | 4.3 mi | 4m |
| South Miller Road | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| West University Drive | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Priest Drive | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North 1st Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Papago Freeway
— 21 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tempe Junction, AZ and Buckeye, AZ.
1
Start on West 13th Street
236 ft
·
13 sec
·
West 13th Street
2
Turn right onto South Farmer Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Farmer Avenue
3
Turn left onto West University Drive
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West University Drive
4
Turn right onto South Priest Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Priest Drive
5
Continue on North Priest Drive
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Priest Drive
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp onto Red Mountain Freeeway
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeeway
Toward AZ 202 Loop West, AZ-143 South: Sky Harbor Airport
Use the left lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
Toward AZ 202 Loop West: Phoenix
8
Merge onto AZ 202 Loop
4.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 10 West
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto I 10
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
12
Continue on I 10
20 mi
·
22 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 10
9.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
14
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 114
Toward Buckeye
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on South Miller Road
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
South Miller Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
16
Continue on North 1st Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North 1st Street
17
Turn left onto US 80 Hist
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
East Monroe Avenue
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
US 80 Hist
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.6 miles from Tempe Junction, AZ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 44.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
2.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Red Mountain Freeeway
Take the ramp onto Red Mountain Freeeway toward AZ 202 Loop West, AZ-143 South: Sky Harbor Airport
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward AZ 202 Loop West, AZ-143 South: Sky Harb...
5
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight right at fork toward AZ 202 Loop West: Phoenix
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward AZ 202 Loop West: Phoenix
6
7.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward I 10 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 10 West
7
40 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward Buckeye
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 114
Toward Buckeye
6
44.8 mi into trip
|
~57m in
|
US 80 Hist / East Monroe Avenue
Turn left onto US 80 Hist / East Monroe Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.00 one way
$18.01 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $9.53 | $19.06 |
| premium | $5.59 | $9.95 | $19.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.98 | $19.96 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.75 | $2.17 |
| Efficient EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.96 | $1.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.1 | 0 | $6.33 | $2.89 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Buckeye, AZ
Late night in Buckeye on Tuesday
Local time
3:38 AM
MST
Current temp
57°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
5 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
58m 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 trip offers a mixed drive profile, balancing urban highway transitions with steady cruising speeds. Approximately 56% of your time will be spent on highways, providing a consistent flow as you move across the valley. You will encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch along the Papago Freeway, which spans 21 miles of the total distance. As you transition between the Red Mountain Freeway and the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, you will notice the road character shift from busy arterial junctions to more open stretches. Staying alert is key, as the mix of high-speed highway segments and local transitions requires you to remain focused throughout the hour-long duration.
56% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21 mi on Papago Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 2.7 miles in near Red Mountain Freeeway.
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 10 decision points packed into just 45.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (Red Mountain Freeeway): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Buckeye, AZ
Full guide →Founded 1888
Top landmarks
- • Buckeye Union High School — Buckeye, Arizona, United States
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 58m. Total distance: 45.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21 miles on Papago 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 Buckeye, 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 2.7 miles (Red Mountain Freeeway): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 7.5 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 Buckeye, 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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