Tucson to Anthem is 147.7 miles and takes about 2h 44m via Casa Grande-Tucson Highway and Black Canyon Freeway, with a fuel budget near $28 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive takes you from the Desert Southwest region of Arizona to another part of the same arid landscape, mostly on highways but with some surface road sections. Given the relatively short duration and manageable distance, this trip is well-suited for a single-day excursion. It's a straightforward route that connects two major Arizona population centers, making it a practical choice for moving between them.
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
73.9 miles from Tucson, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 21m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.5 mi
55m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
38.1 mi
38m
Black Canyon Freeway
30.6 mi
34m
Maricopa Freeway
16.2 mi
18m
East Speedway Boulevard
3.3 mi
7m
North Freeway
2.5 mi
2m
North Country Club Road
1 mi
2m
North 41st Drive
0.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
— 54.5 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tucson, AZ and Anthem, AZ.
1
Start on North Country Club Road
1.0 mi·2 min·North Country Club Road
2
Turn left onto East Speedway Boulevard
3.3 mi·7 min·East Speedway Boulevard
3
Turn right onto North Freeway Road
415 ft·7 sec·North Freeway Road
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·47 sec
Toward I 10 West
5
Merge onto I 10
2.5 mi·2 min·North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 10
3.7 mi·4 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
51 mi·51 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 10
38 mi·38 min·Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
12 mi·13 min·Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto US 60
4.2 mi·4 min·Maricopa Freeway
Toward I-17 North, US-60 West: FlagstaffUse the slight right lane.
11
Continue on I 17; US 60
31 mi·34 min·Black Canyon Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 229Toward Anthem WayUse the slight right lane.
13
Turn left onto West Anthem Way
0.2 mi·29 sec·West Anthem Way
14
Turn slight left
291 ft·16 sec
15
Turn left onto North 41st Drive
0.3 mi·1 min·North 41st Drive
16
Turn left
78 ft·6 sec
17
Turn right
241 ft·17 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Consider departing Tucson in the morning to take advantage of the full daylight hours for this 2h 44m drive. With a total distance of 147.7 miles and a fuel cost estimated at $28, you can comfortably complete this trip in one day without needing an overnight stay. Plan your single stop around the halfway point or slightly after, perhaps near Casa Grande, to break up the 54.5-mile stretch on the Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially before leaving larger towns, as services can be spread out in the Desert Southwest.
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 73.9 miles from Tucson, AZ, or about 1h 21m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 54.5 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 32 miles or 39m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 73.9 miles or 1h 21m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 12m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Anthem, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Tucson, 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 Tucson, AZ
This is one driving day of about 147.7 miles and 2h 44m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 32 miles from Tucson, 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 Casa Grande-Tucson Highway for about 54.5 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 4.8 and 147.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
4.8 mi into trip|~10m in|I 10 / North Freeway
Merge onto I 10 / North Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
11.1 mi into trip|~18m in|I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
111.9 mi into trip|~2h 1m in|US 60 / Maricopa Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 60 / Maricopa Freeway toward I-17 North, US-60 West: Flagstaff
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I-17 North, US-60 West: Flagstaff
7
146.6 mi into trip|~2h 41m 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
4
147.4 mi into trip|~2h 43m in|North 41st Drive
Turn left onto North 41st Drive
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$28.63 one way
$57.25 round trip
$4.92/gal25.4 MPG avg52 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.20
$30.25
$60.50
premium
$5.44
$31.62
$63.23
diesel
$5.60
$32.56
$65.12
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$29
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 51.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $16 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
44.3
0
$15.51
$7.09
Efficient EV
36.9
0
$12.92
$5.91
EV Truck/SUV
59.1
0
$20.68
$9.45
Gas CO2
52 kg
EV CO2
17 kg (67% 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 Aug 15, 2026
Origin
Tucson, AZ
Morning
in Tucson on Friday
Local time
10:48 AM
MST
Current temp
101°F
Sunny
WNW 6 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued August 15 at 10:05AM MST until August 21 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued August 15 at 10:05AM MST until August 21 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ
Destination
Anthem, AZ
Morning
in Anthem on Friday
Local time
10:48 AM
MST
Current temp
102°F
Sunny
WSW 5 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued August 15 at 10:05AM MST until August 21 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued August 15 at 10:05AM MST until August 21 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
1 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
2h 44m 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.
Saguaro National Park
National Park
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...
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 71.3
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 33% of this 147.7-mile drive on highways, with the remaining 67% on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on a surface road is 54.5 miles along the Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. Expect to transition from highway cruising to more varied surface road driving as you progress. The Black Canyon Freeway portion will likely involve merging with more urban traffic as you approach the Phoenix metropolitan area.
33% 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: 54.5 mi on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.8 miles in near I 10 / North Freeway.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 147.7 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.8 miles (I 10 / North Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles (I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 111.9 miles (US 60 / Maricopa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Tucson (TOO-sawn), also known as the "Old Pueblo", is the second-largest city in the state of Arizona and the county seat of Pima County in the Sonoran Desert. It is at a higher elevation than nearby Phoenix and is correspondingly cooler. Although with half a million residents it is smaller than the capital city, its cultural life is just as vibrant.
Top landmarks
•Pima Air & Space Museum — aerospace museum in Tucson, Arizona, USA
•Arizona State Museum — museum in Arizona, United States
•Rialto Theatre — theater and concert venue in Tucson, Arizona, United States
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 44m. Total distance: 147.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (33%). 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 54.5 miles on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 16 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 Anthem, 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 16 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.8 miles (I 10 / North Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles (I 10 / Casa Grande-Tucson Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 111.9 miles (US 60 / Maricopa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Saguaro National Park and Casa Grande Ruins 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 Anthem, AZ before heading back.
