Origin
Tucson, AZ
Night in Tucson on Saturday
Local time
11:03 PM
MST
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tucson, AZ to Mescal, AZ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
48m
Distance
39.4 mi
63 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tucson, AZ
Wikimedia Commons
Mescal, AZ
Los Muertos Crew
Trip Overview
This 39.4-mile drive from Tucson to Mescal, Arizona, is a short one, taking about 48 minutes to complete. Designed as a single-day trip, you'll navigate local roads for the entire journey, with no highway miles involved. The estimated fuel cost is a reasonable $8, making it an economical option for a quick excursion within the Desert Southwest. The route's profile indicates it's turn-heavy, so be prepared for frequent adjustments. This trip is ideal for those looking for a straightforward, local driving experience without the need for overnight stays.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tucson-Benson Highway | 31.3 mi | 32m |
| South Alvernon Way | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| North Mescal Road | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| North Country Club Road | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| East Barraza Aviation Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| J-6 Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tucson-Benson Highway
— 31.3 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tucson, AZ and Mescal, AZ.
1
Start on North Country Club Road
199 ft
·
32 sec
·
North Country Club Road
2
Continue on North Country Club Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
North Country Club Road
3
Take the ramp
160 ft
·
4 sec
4
Turn straight onto AZ 210
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East Barraza Aviation Highway
5
Turn straight
155 ft
·
2 sec
Toward Alvernon Way
6
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
this road
Toward Alvernon Way
7
Turn right onto South Alvernon Way
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
South Alvernon Way
8
Turn left
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 10 East: El Paso
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 10
31 mi
·
32 min
·
Tucson-Benson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 297
Toward Mescal Road, J Six Ranch Road
11
Turn left onto J-6 Road
369 ft
·
15 sec
·
J-6 Road
12
Continue on North Mescal Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
North Mescal Road
13
Arrive at destination
North Mescal Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.7 miles from Tucson, 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 55 decision points cluster between mile 3 and 37.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
South Alvernon Way
Turn right onto South Alvernon Way
Navigation decision point
6
5.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Turn left toward I 10 East: El Paso
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 10 East: El Paso
5
5.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway
Merge onto I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
37.2 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward Mescal Road, J Six Ranch Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 297
Toward Mescal Road, J Six Ranch Road
5
37.5 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
J-6 Road
Turn left onto J-6 Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.85 one way
$15.70 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $8.31 | $16.61 |
| premium | $5.59 | $8.67 | $17.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.70 | $17.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.14 | $1.89 |
| Efficient EV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.45 | $1.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.52 | $2.52 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Mescal, AZ
Night in Mescal on Saturday
Local time
11:03 PM
MST
Current temp
76°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
22 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
48m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this route, characterized by its frequent directional changes rather than long, uninterrupted stretches. With a 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets and local highways for the entire 39.4 miles. The longest continuous segment you'll encounter is 31.3 miles along the Tucson-Benson Highway. This driving personality means you'll be actively steering and navigating for much of the journey, offering a more engaged experience behind the wheel as you move through the Arizona landscape.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.3 mi on Tucson-Benson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 3 miles in near South Alvernon Way.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Tucson, AZ to Mescal, AZ is easy. At 48m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3 miles (South Alvernon Way): Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Tucson, AZ
Full guide →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.
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 48m. Total distance: 39.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 31.3 miles on Tucson-Benson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 3 miles (South Alvernon Way): Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (I 10 / Tucson-Benson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Saguaro National Park. 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 Mescal, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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