Distance From Tucson to Grand Canyon National Park

January 7, 2023

Beginning in Tucson, Arizona, travelers embark on a discovery through the iconic Grand Canyon. An unparalleled spectacle, the natural masterpiece of erosion spans across miles and shows off its breathtaking scenery that must be experienced to be believed. The canyon is an enormous gorge that was carved over time by the Colorado River. Once you arrive, you will be able to see some of the most incredible views of your life.

Driving from Tucson, AZ to Grand Canyon should factor the estimated travel time into the planning of your road trip. This will allow you to schedule stops, lodging, and other considerations throughout the journey accurately in order to arrive at your destination timely.

To calculate the cost of driving from Tucson, AZ to the Grand Canyon, you will need to know the current local fuel prices and an estimate of your car’s best gas mileage. Once you have this information, you can use a calculator to determine the cost.

If you’re planning on flying a plane instead of driving, you’ll probably be more interested in calculating the straight-line distance from Tucson, AZ to the Grand Canyon.

Non-stop Driving to Grand Canyon National Park from Tucson, AZ

From Tucson, how long does it take to travel to Grand Canyon National Park? The answer may surprise you! So if you’re looking for a quick weekend getaway, this is the perfect spot. There are plenty of things to do in the park, including hiking, camping, and scenic drives. Here’s a quick answer if you want to know whether you can make this entire trip by car with non-stop driving: Yes, you can. You will be able to drive the whole way without having to stop for gas or anything else. However, if you need to take a break, there are plenty of places to rest along the route.

Nonstop drive: 544 km or 338 miles 

Driving time: 5 hours and 20 minutes

If you made stops for things like gas, food, or rest, it would likely take longer to complete the trip. A better estimate of the time of this trip would take into account how long it would take if you were to make stops along the route.

Non-stop Flying to Grand Canyon National Park from Tucson, AZ

Assuming you have access to a private jet, you can travel in the quickest possible direct line between Tucson and Grand Canyon. This would be the most direct route and would get you to your destination quickly. The shortest distance between two points on the surface of the Earth is not a straight line. This is because the Earth is round, and so the shortest distance between two points on its surface is always going to be along the curve of its surface. This distance is calculated using an iterative Vincenty formula.

Flight distance: 439 km or 273 miles 

Flight time: 1 hour and 3 minutes

The plane journey is significantly shorter than the car trip, with a difference of 65 miles. This implies that the driving distance is around 1.2 times longer than the actual flight distance. At a much higher rate than a car, your plane flies; therefore, you can expect the flight time to be significantly shorter as opposed to if you drove. For example, if it would take five hours to drive to your destination, it would only take one hour by plane.

This is a relatively short flight in a private plane, but if you were to book a commercial flight, your travel time would increase significantly. This is because you would need to factor in time to get to your local airport, go through security, board the plane, take off and land at the other airport, and then finally make your way to your destination.

Road trip to Grand Canyon National Park from Tucson, AZ

If you’re planning a road trip to Grand Canyon National Park, there are some great things to do along the way. You can check out interesting stops, eat at great restaurants, and even find a hotel to stay in overnight. This will make your trip more enjoyable and memorable. This way, you can rest and enjoy your journey instead of feeling exhausted when you finally reach your destination. 

We believe that you would be able to have more fun on this road trip if you spread it out over the course of multiple days. This would give you ample time to enjoy all of the sights and attractions that you come across during your travels.

Road trip: 2 days of driving

Assuming all goes according to plan, we can estimate the total travel time for this trip.

Travel time: 6.5 hours on the road with 1 overnight

Itinerary

  • Start in Tucson.
  • After approximately 54 minutes of driving, you will reach Picacho Peak State Park where you can spend an hour exploring. 
  • After that, drive for another hour until you reach Chandler and stay there for another hour. 
  • Drive again for 56 minutes then stop in Cave Creek. Stay overnight.
  • The next day, drive for about 1 hour, then stop at Montezuma Castle National Monument and stay for about 1 hour. 
  • Next, continue driving for another 59 minutes then make a stop in Flagstaff to stay for 1 hour.
  • After driving for another 55 minutes, take a break in Valle for 1 hour.
  • Finally, drive for about 35 minutes and arrive at Grand Canyon 

Airports and Flights – to Grand Canyon National Park from Tucson, AZ

In the calculation above, we presumed that you had a private plane and only wanted to know the flight time from one city to another. For the majority of people, flying on a commercial airline is going to be the norm (whether it’s first-class or coach). The experience can vary greatly depending on which airline you fly with and what type of ticket you have. But overall, flying commercially is a relatively safe and efficient way to travel. The flight time will obviously be longer when including taxiing on the runway, taking off, and landing. This means that we have to take into account the extra time it takes to get to the airport, wait for our flight, and then finally arrive at our destination.

To better estimate travel in the real world, we’ve created a flight itinerary using actual airports. Eventually, you’ll be able to personalize this plan, choosing your own airports and flights. The example selected illustrates how travel might work between airports. 

  • Departure Airport: Tucson International Airport (TUS)
  • Arrival airport: Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN)
  • The selected airports can be used to estimate the travel time to and from the airport, based on how close the airport is to downtown.
  • Getting to the airport: 22 minutes
  • Getting to your destination: 22 minutes

Finally, let’s look at an example flight from Tucson International Airport to Grand Canyon National Park Airport and figure out how long the entire trip would take, including time spent taxiing on the ground.

  • Commercial flight time: 1 hour, 3 minutes

With this new information, we can get a more accurate estimate of the total travel time to Grand Canyon National Park from Tucson, AZ. Considering TSA lines and the travel time to and from the airport, it takes roughly 2 hours to wait at the terminal gate. Furthermore, allowing a few extra hours to cope with long queue times at security checkpoints is advisable. It also takes into account the actual flight time itself.

  • Total travel time: 4 hours

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