TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — El Tour de Tucson returns Saturday, Nov. 22, marking the 42nd year that the city has hosted one of the Southwest’s largest road-cycling events. All activities — from packet pickup to the finish lines — are centered at the Tucson Convention Center, with a three-day Zenni Expo & Fiesta kicking off Thursday, Nov. 20.
The Expo opens at noon on Thursday and runs through the weekend in downtown Tucson. Organizers say it will feature more than 100 exhibitor booths offering activities, giveaways and merchandise, with headline bands performing each day on the Stewart Title Main Stage. Packet pickup will coincide with the Expo beginning Thursday.
Ride day starts early on Saturday: riders for the 102-mile route will line up as early as 5 a.m. for a 7 a.m. start. The El Tour 5K Run/Walk for all ages begins at 7:15 a.m., with all finishers receiving a medallion. After the 102-mile field departs, a 62-mile ride will start at 9 a.m. and the 32-mile ride at 10 a.m. A Fun Ride with 3- and 1-mile options departs at 8:15 a.m.
Organizers expect nearly 10,000 cyclists and almost 1,000 walkers and runners to participate, with momentum that could push cycling entries toward 11,000. “For the five months we have trended to have record-breaking participation in El Tour, which could get us close to 11,000 cyclists,” said TJ Juskiewicz, El Tour’s executive director. “It shows Tucson is a cycling city and continues its popularity to others outside the area and region. In fact, 40 percent of our cyclists come from outside of Tucson. We have a cyclist for every state in the United States registered and cyclists from more than 20 countries.”
El Tour organizers framed the event as a celebration of health and wellness across Tucson and southern Arizona, welcoming riders of all ages and abilities to experience the routes that have made the event a fixture each November.
2025 El Tour de Tucson Road Closures and Road Delays
Saturday, November 22nd
Road closures are subject to change
EL TOUR STARTS AT 7:00 AM WITH ALL ROUTES CLOSED AT 4:30 PM
AFTER 4:30 PM ALL RIDERS MUST ABIDE BY THE RULES OF THE ROAD
• WB and EB Cushing (Stone to El Paso): Friday 6:00 am – Saturday 8:00 pm
• SB and NB Main (3rd Avenue (12th Street to 18th Street): 7:00 am – 11:30 am
• EB and WB 12th Street (4rth Avenue to 3rd Avenue): 7:00 am – 11:30 am
• EB and WB Simpson St (Otero Ave – Sentinel Ave ) 7:00 am – 11:30 am
• WB and EB 15th Street (Stone to 4th Ave): 4:00 am – 11:30 am
• NB and SB 4th Ave (15th Street to Broadway): 4:00 am – 11:30 am
• NB and SB 6th Ave (Stone to 15th Ave): 4:00 am – 11:30 am
• NB and SB 6th Ave (22nd Street to Stone Ave): 4:00 am to 5:00 pm
• NB and SB Stone Ave (6th Ave and 18th Street to 14th Ave): 4:00 am to 12:30 pm
• EB Aviation Parkway and some intersections (Broadway – Golf Links): 6:30 am – 12:00 pm
• SB Kolb from Escalante to Valencia (32 Mile Route) 9:30 am to 1:00 pm
• WB Valencia Rd West bound only from Houghton to Kolb 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Houghton at the Pima County Fairgrounds Roads Closed (Driveway and Dawn Rd) 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
• WB & EB Continental (between CPAC and Duval Mine Rd): 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
• NB Mission (Duval Mine Rd to Helmet Peak Rd): 9:30 am – 2:25 pm
I-10 and I-19 ON RAMP and OFF RAMP CLOSURES AND RELATED INFORMATION
• EB SR 210 (Aviation Pkwy.) will be closed from 6:30 am to 12:00 pm.
• I-10 and Houghton Interchange (TI) from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm:
o The I-10 WB On-Ramp will be closed.
o The I-10 EB Off-Ramp will be closed.
o NB Houghton Road traffic will be detoured on I-10 from the EB I-10 On-Ramp to the Colossal Cave / Wentworth Rd. TI and back to the WB I-10 Off-Ramp onto Houghton Rd.
o The WB Off-Ramp will be open but traffic turning SB onto Houghton Road will be flagged.
• I-10 and Valencia Interchange (TI) from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm:
o The I-10 EB Off-Ramp will be closed.
o The I-10 WB Ramps will be open with flagger(s) to control traffic.
o The I-10 EB On-Ramp will be open.
• I-10 and 6th Ave. Interchange (TI) from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm:
o The I-10 EB Off-Ramp will be closed.
o The I-10 EB On-Ramp / Frontage Road and WB Off-Ramp / Frontage Road will be open with flagger(s) to control traffic at 6th Ave.
o The I-10 WB On-Ramp will be open.
• I-19 and Continental Interchange (TI) from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm:
o The I-19 NB and SB Off-Ramps will be closed.
o The I-19 NB On-Ramp will be open with flagger(s) to control traffic.
o The I-19 SB On-Ramp will be open.
o The I-19 East Side and West Side Frontage Roads will be open with flaggers to control traffic. Left Turns from the West Side Frontage Road onto WB Continental Road will be restricted.
• I-19 and Sahuarita Interchange (TI) from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm:
o The I-19 NB Off-Ramp and SB On-Ramp will be closed.
o The I-19 NB On-Ramp and SB Off-Ramp will be open.
Road delays expected:
Escalante and Kolb Intersection 102-mile event and 63-mile event 7:20 am – 11:00 am
Camino Seco and Irvington 102-miler and 63-miler 7:25 am – 11:30pm
Kolb and Valencia 63-miler & 32-miler 7:00 am – 2:00 pm
Valencia and Houghton EB 102-miler & 63-miler 7:15 am – 11:30 am
Maryann Cleveland Way and Houghton 102-miler turn left & 63-miler turn right 8 am – 1:45 pm
Valencia and Houghton WB 63-miler 10:30 Am – 12:45 pm
Sahuarita and Nogales Hwy 102-miles 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Valencia & Alvernon 63-miler & 32-miler 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Aerospace Pkwy & Nogales Hwy 102-miler, 63-miler & 32 miler 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Stone from 18th Street to Cushing 102-miler, 63-miler & 32-miler 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Best means of getting to Airport on El Tour Day
I-10 either direction Exit Kino South to Benson Hwy turn left go to Tucson Boulevard to Airport.
