Highway Patrol Weigh Station
0 mi from route
Trip from Anaheim, CA to Ceres, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6h 17m
Distance
333.3 mi
536 km
Drive Score
10/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$70
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
6h 5m
★
6 AM
6h 17m
8 AM
6h 42m
10 AM
6h 26m
12 PM
6h 24m
3 PM
6h 27m
5 PM
6h 41m
8 PM
6h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Anaheim, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Ceres, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Anaheim to Ceres is 333.3 miles and takes about 6h 17m via Golden State Highway, with a fuel budget near $77 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within California's Pacific Coast region, taking you north on a primarily highway route. Given the relatively short drive time and highway profile, it's a straightforward trip suitable for a single day. You'll transition from the urban sprawl of Southern California to the agricultural landscapes of the Central Valley. Plan for a consistent driving experience with minimal detours.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
166.7 miles from Anaheim, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 11m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Golden State Highway | 111.4 mi | 2h |
| Golden State Freeway | 83.3 mi | 1h 34m |
| Northbound California State Route 99 | 56.3 mi | 1h 5m |
| I 5 Truck | 37.7 mi | 43m |
| CA 99 | 21.4 mi | 24m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 21.3 mi | 24m |
| West Lincoln Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| South Anaheim Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Golden State Highway
— 111.4 mi, about 2h
Traffic on I-5
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 266 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~5,058 veh/hr typical · worst 5,918
Quietest
2 AM
~883 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 44 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Anaheim, CA and Ceres, CA.
1
Start on this road
200 ft
·
16 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto South Anaheim Boulevard
422 ft
·
21 sec
·
South Anaheim Boulevard
3
Turn left onto West Lincoln Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Lincoln Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
5
Merge onto I 5
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
25 mi
·
29 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 5 Truck
Exit 161A
Toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck
36 mi
·
41 min
·
I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
22 mi
·
25 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 99
27 mi
·
30 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 99
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on CA 99
111 mi
·
2 hr
·
Golden State Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 144
Toward Avenue 7
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto CA 99
21 mi
·
24 min
·
CA 99
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 99
56 mi
·
1 hr 5 min
·
Northbound California State Route 99
Toward CA 99
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward Whitmore Avenue
19
Turn right onto East Whitmore Avenue
137 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Whitmore Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
East Whitmore Avenue
Trip Plan
To make the most of this 6h 17m drive, consider an early morning departure from Anaheim to avoid any lingering traffic. With a total distance of 333.3 miles, it's perfectly manageable in one day, so you have the flexibility to stop as needed. The longest stretch without a significant change in road type is 111.4 miles, so plan a break before or after that segment. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially when heading into more rural stretches of California State Route 99, as services can become less frequent. Your estimated fuel cost is around $77.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 166.7 miles from Anaheim, CA, or about 3h 11m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 111.4 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 73 miles or 1h 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 166.7 miles or 3h 11m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 6m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ceres, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Anaheim, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Anaheim, CA
This is one driving day of about 333.3 miles and 6h 17m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 73 miles from Anaheim, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Golden State Highway for about 111.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
167 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 73 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 166.7 miles from Anaheim, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Golden State Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 111.4 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Stops Along Your Drive
Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.
Water
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Flying J Travel Center
0.1 mi from route
Bear Mountain Truck Stop
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Castaic Truck Stop
0.1 mi from route
C. H. Warlow Rest Area
0.1 mi from route
Enoch Christoffersen Rest Area - Southbound
0.1 mi from route
Enoch Christoffersen Rest Area - Northbound
0.1 mi from route
United Park
0.1 mi from route
Tejon Pass Rest Area - Southbound
0.1 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
EZ Trip Travel Center
0.1 mi from route
Valley Fuel Travel Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.2 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.2 mi from route
Tejon Pass Rest Area - Northbound
0.2 mi from route
Petro Stopping Centers
0.2 mi from route
TA
0.2 mi from route
Flying J Travel Center
0.2 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.3 mi from route
TA
0.3 mi from route
TA
0.4 mi from route
Ahmed's Exxon
0.9 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.9 mi from route
Rest Area
1.4 mi from route
Rest Area
1.6 mi from route
Rest Area
1.7 mi from route
Rest Area
1.8 mi from route
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 4.6 and 276.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
22.6 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
50.3 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 161A
Toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
7
255 mi into trip
|
~4h 46m in
Take the exit toward Avenue 7
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 144
Toward Avenue 7
7
276.8 mi into trip
|
~5h 10m in
|
CA 99 / Northbound California State Route 99
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 99 / Northbound California State Route 99 toward CA 99
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 99
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$69.73 one way
$139.46 round trip
$5.31/gal
25.4 MPG avg
117 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.52 | $72.42 | $144.84 |
| premium | $5.67 | $74.34 | $148.67 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $62.93 | $125.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$70
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$95–$120
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 116.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $35 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 100 | 1 | $35.00 | $16.00 |
| Efficient EV | 83.3 | 0 | $29.16 | $13.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 133.3 | 1 | $46.66 | $21.33 |
Gas CO2
117 kg
EV CO2
39 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Anaheim, CA
Late night in Anaheim on Monday
Local time
12:11 AM
PDT
Current temp
84°F
Mostly Sunny
S 0 to 10 mph
2% chance
Live forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 17 at 1:44AM PDT until July 17 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 17 at 1:44AM PDT until July 17 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Destination
Ceres, CA
Late night in Ceres on Monday
Local time
12:11 AM
PDT
Current temp
93°F
Sunny
NNW 8 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 17 at 1:44AM PDT until July 17 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 17 at 1:44AM PDT until July 17 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
9 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
6h 17m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
The Santa Monica Mountains offer easy access to surprisingly wild places. Experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. The park abounds with historical and cultura...
22 mi from route
~55 min detour
Free
near mile 46
View on nps.gov
César E. Chávez National Monument
National Monument
Yes, we can! Widely recognized as the most important Latino leader in the United States during the twentieth century, Cesar Chavez led farm workers and supporters in the establishment of the country's...
26 mi from route
~64 min detour
Free
near mile 114.9
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly highway, with 66% of the 333.3 miles spent on the Golden State Highway and its freeway extensions. You'll encounter one long stretch of highway cruising that lasts 111.4 miles on the Golden State Highway. Expect a significant amount of time on Northbound California State Route 99, which means you'll notice frequent exits and entrances as you pass through various towns and cities. The latter part of the drive will likely feel more rural as you head further into the Central Valley.
66% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 111.4 mi on Golden State Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Golden State Highway and Golden State Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.6 miles in near I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 333.3 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 50.3 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Hilly terrain with moderate elevation changes
3,829 ft
93 ft
Total Climb
3,847 ft
Total Descent
3,912 ft
Highest Point
3,829 ft
~95.2 mi in
Elevation Range
3,736 ft
Notable High Points
3,829 ft at ~95.2 miles
+1,368 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Anaheim, CA to Ceres, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Avenue 7 along the way.
Avenue 7
255 mi in
|
~4h 46m
About the Cities
Starting in Anaheim, CA
Full guide →Founded 1857
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. It is best known for being the home of Disneyland. Its second claim to fame is hosting the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks and Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels.
Top landmarks
- • Disneyland — American theme park in California owned by The Walt Disney Company
- • Disney California Adventure — theme park in California, part of Disneyland Resort
- • Soarin' — flight motion simulator attraction at Disney parks
Arriving in Ceres, CA
Full guide →Modesto is a city in California's San Joaquin Valley.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 17m. Total distance: 333.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 17m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 111.4 miles on Golden State Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 32 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Ceres, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 32 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 50.3 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and César E. Chávez National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.3 hours each way, a round trip means 12.6 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Ceres, CA before the return drive.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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