Yuma, AZ to Guadalupe, AZ is 196.3 miles and takes about 3h 33m via Blue Star Memorial Highway and South John Wayne Parkway, with a fuel budget near $40 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Arizona, traversing the Desert Southwest. Expect a drive primarily on surface roads, offering a straightforward connection between these two points. With a single day recommended, it's a manageable drive for most.
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
98.2 miles from Yuma, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 41m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Blue Star Memorial Highway
151.4 mi
2h 36m
South John Wayne Parkway
14.8 mi
18m
Maricopa Road
11.8 mi
13m
Maricopa Freeway
5.8 mi
6m
Gila Bend–Casa Grande Highway
5.7 mi
6m
Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
2.3 mi
2m
West Queen Creek Road
1.9 mi
2m
South Avenida Del Yaqui
0.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Blue Star Memorial Highway
— 151.4 mi, about 2h 36m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Yuma, AZ and Guadalupe, AZ.
1
Start on I 8 BUS
0.3 mi·22 sec·North 4th Avenue
2
Continue on I 8 BUS
0.1 mi·16 sec·Winterhaven Drive
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·31 sec
4
Merge onto I 8
0.2 mi·12 sec·Kumeyaay Highway
5
Continue on I 8
151 mi·2 hr 36 min·Blue Star Memorial Highway
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi·35 sec
Toward AZ 84 East: Maricopa
7
Turn left onto AZ 84
5.7 mi·6 min·Gila Bend–Casa Grande Highway
8
Turn left onto AZ 347
15 mi·18 min·South John Wayne Parkway
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on AZ 347
12 mi·13 min·Maricopa Road
10
Continue on AZ 347
1.9 mi·2 min·West Queen Creek Road
11
Turn left
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward I 10 West: PhoenixUse the left lane.
12
Merge onto I 10
2.3 mi·2 min·Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
13
Continue on I 10
5.8 mi·6 min·Maricopa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi·45 sec
Exit 155Toward Baseline RoadUse the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn right onto West Baseline Road
0.2 mi·29 sec·West Baseline Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto South Priest Drive
0.2 mi·27 sec·South Priest Drive
17
Continue on South Avenida Del Yaqui
0.3 mi·1 min·South Avenida Del Yaqui
18
Turn left
67 ft·4 sec
19
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Given the 3h 33m estimated drive time, starting your day in Yuma, AZ, will give you ample daylight to reach Guadalupe, AZ, comfortably. The fuel cost is estimated at $40, so ensure your tank is full before departing. With only one recommended stop and a mostly surface road profile, you have flexibility in pacing. Pay attention to local speed limits once you transition off the main highway stretches, especially as you get closer to Guadalupe.
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 98.2 miles from Yuma, AZ, or about 1h 41m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 151.4 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 43 miles or 44m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 98.2 miles or 1h 41m 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 48m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Guadalupe, AZ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Yuma, 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 Yuma, AZ
This is one driving day of about 196.3 miles and 3h 33m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 43 miles from Yuma, 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 Blue Star Memorial Highway for about 151.4 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 195.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|I 8 / Kumeyaay Highway
Merge onto I 8 / Kumeyaay Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
158.2 mi into trip|~2h 44m in|AZ 347 / South John Wayne Parkway
Turn left onto AZ 347 / South John Wayne Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
186.7 mi into trip|~3h 20m in
Turn left toward I 10 West: Phoenix
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 10 West: Phoenix
7
195.2 mi into trip|~3h 30m in
Take the exit toward Baseline Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 155
Toward Baseline Road
5
195.5 mi into trip|~3h 31m in|West Baseline Road
Turn right onto West Baseline Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$40.09 one way
$80.17 round trip
$5.19/gal25.4 MPG avg69 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.52
$42.65
$85.29
premium
$5.72
$44.20
$88.40
diesel
$5.35
$41.35
$82.69
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$40
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$65–$90
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 68.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
58.9
0
$20.61
$9.42
Efficient EV
49.1
0
$17.18
$7.85
EV Truck/SUV
78.5
0
$27.48
$12.56
Gas CO2
69 kg
EV CO2
23 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 Jun 1, 2026
Origin
Yuma, AZ
Afternoon
in Yuma on Wednesday
Local time
12:05 PM
MST
Current temp
70°F
Clear
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Guadalupe, AZ
Afternoon
in Guadalupe on Wednesday
Local time
12:05 PM
MST
Current temp
72°F
Clear
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
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
2 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
3h 33m 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.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
National Monument
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...
29 mi from route
~73 min detour
Free
near mile 176
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is mostly surface roads, with only a 10% highway share. You'll experience a long stretch of 151.4 miles on the Blue Star Memorial Highway before transitioning to surface roads. After the highway portion ends, expect to navigate through more local roads, which can mean more frequent intersections and varying speed limits as you approach your destination.
Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 151.4 mi on Blue Star Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near I 8 / Kumeyaay Highway.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 33m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (I 8 / Kumeyaay Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 158.2 miles (AZ 347 / South John Wayne Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 186.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,834 ft141 ft
Total Climb
1,838 ft
Total Descent
740 ft
Highest Point
1,834 ft
~140.2 mi in
Elevation Range
1,693 ft
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Yuma is the largest city and county seat of Yuma County, Arizona. It is in the southwest corner of the state, across the Colorado River from California and near two Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora.
Top landmarks
•Brown House — historic house in Yuma, Arizona, USA
•Masonic Temple — in Yuma, Arizona
•Gandolfo Theatre — former movie theater in Yuma, Arizona, United States
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 151.4 miles on Blue Star Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 13 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.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (I 8 / Kumeyaay Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 158.2 miles (AZ 347 / South John Wayne Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 186.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.6 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.1 hours — manageable with a long break at Guadalupe, AZ, but most travelers stay overnight.
