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Trip from Anaheim, CA to Ladera Heights, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

47m

Distance

33.6 mi

54 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 43m ★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States

Ladera Heights, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Spanning 33.6 miles across the Pacific Coast region, this drive from Anaheim to Ladera Heights is a straightforward journey typically taking about 47 minutes. Since the entire trip is easily manageable in a single day, you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations. Budgeting around $8 for fuel should cover your transit costs, making this an economical excursion within California. You will primarily navigate via the Santa Ana Freeway, the Century Freeway, and Imperial Highway to reach your destination. Because this route stays within the Pacific Coast region, you can expect a consistent urban driving experience from start to finish.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Century Freeway 15.1 mi 17m
Santa Ana Freeway 9.7 mi 11m
Imperial Highway 1.4 mi 2m
South La Cienega Boulevard 1.2 mi 2m
I 405 ALT 1.1 mi 1m
West Lincoln Avenue 1 mi 2m
Adoree Street 0.5 mi <1m
San Diego Freeway 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Century Freeway — 15.1 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Anaheim, CA and Ladera Heights, 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

6.3 mi · 7 min · Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Exit 121 Toward Norwalk Boulevard, Imperial Highway Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on Adoree Street

0.5 mi · 54 sec · Adoree Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
9

Turn left onto Imperial Highway

1.4 mi · 2 min · Imperial Highway
Use the straight / left lanes.
10

Turn left onto Hoxie Avenue

0.2 mi · 19 sec · Hoxie Avenue
Use the left lane.
11

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward I 105 West
12

Continue on I 105

0.3 mi · 22 sec · Century Freeway
13

Keep slight right at fork onto I 105

15 mi · 17 min · Century Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 2B Toward I 405 South, I 405 North: Long Beach, Santa Monica Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight right at fork

0.9 mi · 2 min
Toward I 405 North: Santa Monica Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Merge onto I 405

0.5 mi · 31 sec · San Diego Freeway
17

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Exit 47 Toward Manchester Boulevard, La Cienega Boulevard Use the slight right lane.
18

Merge onto I 405 ALT

1.1 mi · 1 min · I 405 ALT
Use the straight lane.
19

Turn straight onto South La Cienega Boulevard

1.2 mi · 2 min · South La Cienega Boulevard
20

Turn slight right

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward Slauson Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

Turn left onto West Slauson Avenue

0.3 mi · 46 sec · West Slauson Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
22

Turn right onto South Sherbourne Drive

402 ft · 22 sec · South Sherbourne Drive
23

Turn left onto West 57th Street

319 ft · 16 sec · West 57th Street
24

Turn right onto Bedford Avenue

0.3 mi · 1 min · Bedford Avenue
25

Arrive at destination

Bedford Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Downey, CA

17 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

Hollywood, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Downey, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.8 miles from Anaheim, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 20

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.6 and 30 — 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.
8
10.9 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward Norwalk Boulevard, Imperial Highway

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 121 Toward Norwalk Boulevard, Imperial Highway
8
28.5 mi into trip | ~37m in

Take the exit toward I 405 South, I 405 North: Long Beach, Santa Monica

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 2B Toward I 405 South, I 405 North: Long Beach, Sa...
7
28.7 mi into trip | ~37m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 405 North: Santa Monica

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 405 North: Santa Monica
8
30 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the exit toward Manchester Boulevard, La Cienega Boulevard

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 47 Toward Manchester Boulevard, La Cienega Bouleva...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.72 one way

$15.45 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $7.96 $15.92
premium $6.18 $8.17 $16.34
diesel $5.61 $7.42 $14.84

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 $3.53 $1.61
Efficient EV 8.4 0 $2.94 $1.34
EV Truck/SUV 13.4 0 $4.70 $2.15

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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Anaheim, CA

Late night in Anaheim on Tuesday

Local time

4:11 AM

PDT

Current temp

53°F

Mostly Clear

SE 0 to 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 2:07AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS San Diego CA

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 1:48AM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Medford OR

Destination

Ladera Heights, CA

Late night in Ladera Heights on Tuesday

Local time

4:11 AM

PDT

Current temp

70°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

17 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

47m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This highway-focused trek relies heavily on major arteries, with 78% of your time spent on high-speed roads. You will find yourself navigating a mix of transit corridors, including a notable 15.1-mile uninterrupted stretch along the Century Freeway. The character of the drive is functional and efficient rather than leisurely, prioritizing speed as you transition between these California hubs. Expect a consistent pace as you move through the highway network, which keeps the experience predictable for the duration of the 33.6-mile trip.

78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.1 mi on Century Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Century Freeway and Santa Ana 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 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 20 decision points packed into just 33.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.

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 10.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Anaheim, CA and Ladera Heights, CA, road signs point toward Imperial Highway and Santa Monica.

Imperial Highway

10.9 mi in | ~14m

Santa Monica

28.5 mi in | ~37m

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

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 47m. Total distance: 33.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

47m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 15.1 miles on Century 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 Ladera Heights, 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 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ladera Heights, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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