Driving to Arizona?

Get Arizona Driving Directions
from its Border States

Driving to Arizona is relatively easy if you live in one of the five states that border Arizona.

If you have the time, driving rather than flying into the state offers you some very scenic road trips.

The five Arizona border states, in order from west to east, are: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.

Drivers can easily travel to Arizona via the interstates or on secondary highways from each of these states.

Arizona has several large interstate freeways with plenty of places to stop for food, gas and restrooms.

The primary Arizona freeways are:

One of the many scenic Arizona driving routes - Highway 74 crosses the Sonoran Desert northwest of Phoenix

Many of Arizona’s smaller highways are just two lanes, have few or no services and often follow the contours of the landscape.

These roads may be hilly or travel up and down washes.

If you have the time and the inclination, by all means explore Arizona’s small highways and back roads.

Just make sure you and your vehicle are prepared.

If you’re short on time and are uncomfortable using shrubs for latrines, you are better off using the main interstates.

When driving to Arizona, you have several routes to choose from, depending on your final destination, where you are coming from and the time of the year.

The view of Downtown Phoenix from Interstate 17. Piestewa Peak is on the left and Camelback Mountain on the right

Which way you will be driving to Arizona will depend on:

• your starting point
• your final destination
• how much time you have
• whether you want or need lots of services during your drive
• the condition of your vehicle.

To help you decide, we’ve provided Arizona driving directions from each Arizona border state with maps to Arizona driving routes.

Note that each set of directions assumes Phoenix or Flagstaff as the end point, for ease of explanation.

Driving Directions from California to Arizona

Driving Directions from Nevada to Arizona

Driving Directions from Utah to Arizona

Driving Directions from Colorado to Arizona

Driving Directions from New Mexico to Arizona

Want to know more about driving in Arizona? Find tips on speed limits, speed traps, speeding cameras and back roads travel on our Arizona driving tips page.

This page is intended for informational purposes only. Construction projects, traffic conditions, weather or other events may cause road conditions to differ from those described here. This information is not meant to cover every possible scenario or outcome. Before you travel, do your homework. YOU are solely responsible for your personal safety. We cannot assume responsibility for you or anyone else’s safety that reads and uses this information. Always inquire locally before traveling. Always be conservative when planning your trips and routes.Arizona-Vacation-Planner.com accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information.