Origin
Tolleson, AZ
Late night in Tolleson on Sunday
Local time
12:35 AM
MST
Current temp
89°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tolleson, AZ to Tempe, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
23.5 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tolleson, AZ
Abhishek Navlakha
Tempe, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 23.5-mile drive from Tolleson, AZ to Tempe, AZ is easily managed as a single-day trip, taking approximately 31 minutes. With 83% of the journey on highways, you'll be spending most of your time on the Papago Freeway and Red Mountain Freeway before transitioning to South McClintock Drive. The estimated fuel cost for this short hop is around $5, making it an economical option. Given its brevity, this route is perfect for a quick transit or a day trip within the Desert Southwest region. You won't need to worry about overnight stays, allowing for maximum flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Papago Freeway | 11.3 mi | 13m |
| Red Mountain Freeway | 8.3 mi | 10m |
| South McClintock Drive | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| North 91st Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West Van Buren Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North 92nd Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Apache Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Papago Freeway
— 11.3 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tolleson, AZ and Tempe, AZ.
1
Start on this road
168 ft
·
17 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North 92nd Drive
176 ft
·
8 sec
·
North 92nd Drive
3
Turn right onto West Van Buren Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
West Van Buren Street
4
Turn left onto North 91st Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North 91st Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 10
9.9 mi
·
11 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 10
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
8
Continue on I 10
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Papago Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147
Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
11
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway
7.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Red Mountain Freeway
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 8
Toward McClintock Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn right onto South McClintock Drive
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
South McClintock Drive
Use the right lane.
14
Turn right onto US 80 Hist
60 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Apache Boulevard
Use the right lane.
15
Arrive at destination
US 80 Hist
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 21.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North 91st Avenue
Turn left onto North 91st Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 East: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 10 East: Phoenix
8
13.3 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
Take the exit onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
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 147
Toward AZ 51 North, AZ 202 Loop East
8
13.7 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Red Mountain Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto Red Mountain Freeway toward AZ 202 Loop East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 147A
Toward AZ 202 Loop East
7
21.6 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward McClintock Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 8
Toward McClintock Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.68 one way
$9.36 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $4.95 | $9.91 |
| premium | $5.59 | $5.17 | $10.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.19 | $10.38 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.47 | $1.13 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.29 | $1.50 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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, AZ
Late night in Tempe on Sunday
Local time
12:35 AM
MST
Current temp
93°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
4 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
31m 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 predominantly highway-focused experience for this 31-minute trip. The majority of your travel, 83% to be exact, will be on freeways, specifically the Papago Freeway and the Red Mountain Freeway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 11.3 miles on the Papago Freeway, offering a consistent pace. As you approach your destination, the route shifts to South McClintock Drive, providing a slight change in scenery and traffic flow as you enter Tempe.
83% 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: 11.3 mi on Papago Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Papago Freeway and Red Mountain Freeway. 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 North 91st Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
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 23.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (North 91st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.3 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 23.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.3 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 Tempe, 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 0.3 miles (North 91st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.3 miles (Red Mountain Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Tempe, 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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