Scottsdale is very close to Phoenix—roughly 10–15 miles apart, which usually works out to about a 20–25 minute drive depending on your exact start and end points and traffic.

Quick Scoop

  • Distance: About 12 miles (around 19 km) between the two city centers.
  • Driving time: Typically 20–25 minutes by car in normal traffic.
  • Road distance range: Different routes and start/end points give about 13–14 miles by road.
  • Public transit: Valley Metro bus options usually take 40–60 minutes, depending on route and transfers.
  • Rideshare: Uber/Lyft are common and are often the simplest option if you don’t have a car.

From Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

If you’re flying in and heading to Scottsdale:

  • Distance from PHX to central Scottsdale is roughly 10–12 miles.
  • Typical travel time is about 15–25 minutes by car or rideshare, traffic and time of day depending.
  • Cheapest option is usually Valley Metro bus, but it’s slower than driving.

Handy Perspective

People on travel forums often describe it as “a 20‑minute commute” and are surprised it’s that close, which makes Scottsdale an easy side trip or base if you’re visiting Phoenix.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.