Origin
Anaheim, CA
Late night in Anaheim on Tuesday
Local time
3:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Anaheim, CA to Glendale, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
33.8 mi
54 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Glendale, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Anaheim to Glendale is 33.8 miles and takes about 42m via Santa Ana Freeway and Golden State Freeway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within California's Pacific Coast region for its entirety. Expect a predominantly highway experience that makes for a quick transit between these two Southern California cities. It's a straightforward connection, ideal for a single-day trip without needing an overnight stop.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 21.3 mi | 24m |
| Golden State Freeway | 9.7 mi | 11m |
| West Lincoln Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Colorado Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Colorado Street Freeway Extension | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| South Anaheim Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Brand Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 21.3 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Anaheim, CA and Glendale, 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
9.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 142
Toward Colorado Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on Colorado Street Freeway Extension
0.6 mi
·
37 sec
·
Colorado Street Freeway Extension
Toward Colorado Street, South Pacific Avenue, San Fernando Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn slight right onto West Colorado Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Colorado Street
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto South Brand Boulevard
31 ft
·
1 sec
·
South Brand Boulevard
12
Arrive at destination
South Brand Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 32.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Lincoln Avenue
Turn left onto West Lincoln Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
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.
7
32.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward Colorado Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 142
Toward Colorado Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.77 one way
$15.54 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.01 | $16.01 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.22 | $16.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.46 | $14.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.55 | $1.62 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.96 | $1.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.73 | $2.16 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
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.
Destination
Glendale, CA
Late night in Glendale on Tuesday
Local time
3:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
42m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is 94% highway, meaning you'll spend most of your time on the freeway. The longest continuous stretch on the highway is 21.3 miles, primarily on the Santa Ana Freeway. You'll transition from the highway onto surface roads like West Lincoln Avenue closer to your destination. Watch for frequent exits and merging traffic as you navigate this urban freeway corridor.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.3 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Golden State Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near West Lincoln Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 33.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West Lincoln Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Glendale, CA
Full guide →Founded 1884
Glendale is a suburban city of 205,000 people (2019) in the southeastern corner of the San Fernando Valley of Southern California between Burbank and Downtown Los Angeles. Glendale has one of the largest communities of Armenian descent in the United States. In addition to central Glendale, this article covers the Crescenta Valley communities of La Crescenta, Montrose, Verdugo City, and the part of Glendale in the Crescenta Valley.
Top landmarks
- • Forest Lawn Memorial Park — cemetery in Glendale, California
- • Glendale Transportation Center — railway station
- • Grand Central Airport — airport in Glendale, Los Angeles
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 42m. Total distance: 33.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.3 miles on Santa Ana Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Glendale, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West Lincoln Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Glendale, CA before heading back.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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