Drive time

Can you drive from Minneapolis to Phoenix in one day?

Not comfortably. It is about 24 hours of pure driving on I-35, I-40 and I-17, which turns into 31 h 30 min with breaks and meals. That is too long for one safe day, so plan on 3 days and sleep in Kansas City, MO, Amarillo, TX and Albuquerque, NM.

Distance

1,640 miles

Driving only

24 h

Breaks and meals

7 h 30 min

Door to door

31 h 30 min

How we count the time

A 15-minute stop every two hours for fuel, restrooms and a stretch, plus a 45-minute sit-down meal every four hours. Traffic, weather and construction come on top, so check the live route before you leave.

Where to split the drive

Over 3 days, most drivers stop for the night in Kansas City, MO, Amarillo, TX and Albuquerque, NM, keeping each day near nine hours at the wheel. For a hard two-day push, the halfway town is below.

Amarillo sits 979 miles in, about 14 h 20 min from Minneapolis, leaving 661 miles for the next morning. It is the most even split on the route and has plenty of hotels near the highway.

More on this drive

• Full drive guide
• Best places to stop
• Gas cost
• Driving it in an EV