Houston to Phoenix road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time

The best road trip stops on the Houston to Phoenix drive are San Antonio, El Paso and Tucson. The distance from Houston to Phoenix by car is 1,176 miles, with a 16h49m driving time.

Planning a Houston to Phoenix road trip itinerary

The Houston to Phoenix drive connects the biggest city in Texas to the capital of Arizona.

The top Houston attraction is unquestionably the NASA Space Center, which takes you behind the scenes of the Johnson Space Center. This includes the Mission Briefing Center, and a vast array of high tech exhibitions.

Other attractions include the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Children’s Museum,

For more Houston experiences, try hip hop party bike tours, foodie walks in the Montrose neighbourhood and quirky tours of Houston’s tunnel system.

Top Houston accommodation options include the superb value Club Quarters Houston Downtown and the upscale but boutique Magnolia.

Phoenix is often used as a base for exploring the Sonoran Desert. But it’s a proper city with an arty streak, a Spanish-tinged history and excellent Mexican food.

Top Phoenix experiences include exploring the city’s many murals, taking a self-guided audio tour through Saguaro National Park and canyoneering at Mt Lemmon.

There are also several good bike tours you can do in and around Phoenix. Choose from a history-focused ride through the city, e-biking in Saguaro National Park and taco-tasting on two wheels.

For resort-style accommodation in Phoenix, take a look at the impressive Casino Del Sol Resort. To stay downtown, within walking distance of several restaurants, try the Leo Kent Hotel.

Houston to Phoenix distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Houston to Phoenix is 1,176 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 16 hours and 49 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-10.

The best stops to add to a Houston to Phoenix road trip itinerary are San Antonio, El Paso and Tucson.

For more suggestions, see the guides to individual sections of the journey:

Best stops between Houston and Phoenix: San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio’s most famous site is the Alamo, a fortified Spanish mission that played host to a critical battle in the Texas Revolution. It’s far from the only historic building in the city, though – the San Fernando Cathedral and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park are both visually impressive. It’s worth taking a guided tour of the missions for better understanding.

Further attractions include San Antonio Zoo, the Sea Life aquarium, the magic show at the Magicians Agency Theater and the Hopscotch Immersive Art Experience.

Other San Antonio experiences worth considering are the haunted ghost bus tour, downtown food tours, hop-on hop-off buses and Segway tours.

Book ahead for San Antonio accommodation deals. But try the Hotel Emma for five star opulence and the Canopy by Hilton for youthful energy on the Riverwalk.

Houston to Phoenix road trip attractions: El Paso, Texas

El Paso has plenty of stories behind it. Many are covered on the Ghosts, Haunted Cowboys and Outlaws tour. You can also explore the surrounding landscape on a UTV adventure tour, or going biking, hiking and rock-climbing in Franklin Mountains State Park.

As for other El Paso attractions, the National Border Patrol Museum looks at the work of those who monitor the US’ borders, with a little bit too much emphasis on weaponry. The El Paso Museum of Archaeology, meanwhile, looks at the prehistory of the South West.

To track down the best El Paso hotel deals, head here.

Houston to Phoenix drive: Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is often used as a base for exploring the Sonoran Desert. But it’s a proper city with an arty streak, a Spanish-tinged history and excellent Mexican food.

Top Tucson experiences include exploring the city’s many murals, taking a self-guided audio tour through Saguaro National Park and canyoneering at Mt Lemmon.

There are also several good bike tours you can do in and around Tucson. Choose from a history-focused ride through the city, e-biking in Saguaro National Park and taco-tasting on two wheels.

For resort-style accommodation in Tucson, take a look at the impressive Casino Del Sol Resort. To stay downtown, within walking distance of several restaurants, try the Leo Kent Hotel.

Street art in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo by Rueben Juarez/ Unsplash.

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Houston to Phoenix road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time

Planning a Houston to Phoenix road trip itinerary

Houston to Phoenix distance and driving time

Best stops between Houston and Phoenix: San Antonio, Texas

Houston to Phoenix road trip attractions: El Paso, Texas

Houston to Phoenix drive: Tucson, Arizona

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