Tempe: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Tempe is a city of 175,826 people in United States (Arizona), 360 m (1,181 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Tempe.
Key facts
Daylight in Tempe runs from about 9 h 59 min a day in late December to 14 h 25 min in late June (computed for 33.41° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Tempe is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre, whose 11,489-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA, 26 km).
Flights to Tempe: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Tempe. Trains to Tempe
Buses to Tempe · Driving and car hire
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University Art Museum | 60,000 | — |
The busiest is Arizona State University Art Museum at 60,000 visitors. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Tempe
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Phoenix, 16 km — tours
- Mexicali, 342 km (Mexico) — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Tucson, 161 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Mesa, 8 km
- Nogales, 251 km (Mexico) — buses · car rental · tours
- Chandler, 14 km
- Gilbert, 13 km
- Glendale, 29 km — car rental · tours
- Scottsdale, 11 km
- Peoria, 36 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Regensburg, Skopje, Lower Hutt, Timbuktu, Zhenjiang.
Common questions
Which airport serves Tempe?
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Tempe?
About 175,826 people live in Tempe, across 104 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Tempe in?
America/Phoenix, currently UTC-7.
What currency is used in Tempe?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Tempe?
Phoenix (16 km), Mexicali (342 km), Tucson (161 km), Mesa (8 km), Nogales (251 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.