Yuma to Nogales is 302.9 miles and takes about 5h 18m via Blue Star Memorial Highway and Nogales–Tucson Highway, with a fuel budget near $59 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Arizona's Desert Southwest region, offering a consistent landscape for the entire drive. Given its relatively short duration and consistent road type, this route is best suited for a single day of travel. You'll spend most of your time on surface roads, so plan for a more relaxed pace compared to pure interstate driving. Consider this a straightforward transit between two points in southern Arizona.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
151.5 miles from Yuma, AZ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 36m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Blue Star Memorial Highway
177.9 mi
3h 2m
Nogales–Tucson Highway
57.7 mi
1h 1m
Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
54.6 mi
55m
North Freeway
5.4 mi
6m
I 19 BUS
4.7 mi
7m
Phoenix Bypass Route
0.4 mi
<1m
North Morley Avenue
0.3 mi
1m
North 4th Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Blue Star Memorial Highway
— 177.9 mi, about 3h 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Yuma, AZ and Nogales, 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
178 mi·3 hr 2 min·Blue Star Memorial Highway
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi·38 sec
Exit 178AToward I 10 East: Tucson
7
Continue on Phoenix Bypass Route
0.4 mi·27 sec·Phoenix Bypass Route
Exit 178AToward I 10 East: Tucson
8
Continue on I 10
55 mi·55 min·Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 10
5.4 mi·6 min·North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.5 mi·37 sec
Exit 260Toward I 19 South: NogalesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 19
58 mi·1 hr 1 min·Nogales–Tucson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit onto I 19 BUS
4.7 mi·7 min·I 19 BUS
Exit 8Toward I 19 Business: Grand Avenue
13
Turn left
129 ft·7 sec
14
Turn right onto North Morley Avenue
0.3 mi·1 min·North Morley Avenue
15
Turn left onto North Wayside Drive
91 ft·3 sec·North Wayside Drive
16
Arrive at destination
North Wayside Drive
Trip Plan
For this 5h 18m drive, leaving Yuma in the morning allows you to reach Nogales with plenty of daylight remaining. With only one recommended stop, you have flexibility in how you pace yourself; consider a mid-morning break. Watch your fuel levels, as the longest stretch without a town could be over 170 miles. The fuel cost estimate of $59 is a good baseline for budgeting. Since this is a single-day trip, an early start means you can arrive in Nogales and settle in without feeling rushed.
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 151.5 miles from Yuma, AZ, or about 2h 36m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 177.9 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 67 miles or 1h 9m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 151.5 miles or 2h 36m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 16m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Nogales, 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 302.9 miles and 5h 18m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 67 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 177.9 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 302.6 — 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
6
178.7 mi into trip|~3h 4m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 East: Tucson
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 178A
Toward I 10 East: Tucson
7
239.7 mi into trip|~4h 7m in
Take the exit toward I 19 South: Nogales
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 260
Toward I 19 South: Nogales
5
297.9 mi into trip|~5h 9m in|I 19 BUS
Take the exit onto I 19 BUS toward I 19 Business: Grand Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 8
Toward I 19 Business: Grand Avenue
5
302.6 mi into trip|~5h 17m in|North Morley Avenue
Turn right onto North Morley Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$61.01 one way
$122.02 round trip
$5.12/gal25.4 MPG avg106 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.43
$64.72
$129.44
premium
$5.67
$67.66
$135.33
diesel
$6.28
$74.84
$149.69
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$61
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$86–$111
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 106 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $32 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
90.9
1
$31.80
$14.54
Efficient EV
75.7
0
$26.50
$12.12
EV Truck/SUV
121.2
1
$42.41
$19.39
Gas CO2
106 kg
EV CO2
35 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Yuma, AZ
Afternoon
in Yuma on Wednesday
Local time
12:32 PM
MST
Current temp
88°F
Sunny
W 0 to 5 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Nogales, AZ
Afternoon
in Nogales on Wednesday
Local time
12:32 PM
MST
Current temp
82°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 6 to 12 mph48% chanceLive forecast
61°F
San Luis, AZ
151 mi in
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
6 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
5h 18m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Tumacácori sits at a cultural crossroads in the Santa Cruz River valley. Here O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met and mingled with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers...
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...
13 mi from route
~33 min detour
$25
near mile 240.2
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...
15 mi from route
~38 min detour
Free
near mile 177.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a significant portion on surface roads, with only about a third of the drive on highways. You'll experience the longest stretch on the Blue Star Memorial Highway, covering 177.9 miles before transitioning to other roads. Expect a more rural cruising feel for much of the 302.9 miles, especially as you move away from the highway segments. The change from highway to surface roads will likely be noticeable in terms of traffic flow and speed.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 177.9 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 5h 18m drive. You will face about 8 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 178.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 239.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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
Nogales is a city divided by the US-México border, which runs through the middle of town on what was International Street. The city is one of the most important border crossings between Mexico and the USA by all measures.
This portion of the city is in South Central Arizona; see Nogales (Sonora) for the portion in Sonora, Mexico.
Top landmarks
•Nogales-Morley Gate Port of Entry — historic inspection station in Nogales, Arizona, USA
•United States Post Office and Immigration Station–Nogales Main — building in Nogales, Arizona that was built in 1923
•S.H. Kress & Co. Building — historic building in Nogales, Arizona, USA
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 177.9 miles on Blue Star Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 25 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.
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 25 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (I 8 / Kumeyaay Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 178.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 239.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Tumacácori National Historical Park, Saguaro National Park and Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.3 hours each way, a round trip means 10.6 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Nogales, AZ before the return drive.
