Anaheim to North Hills is 50.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 2 minutes via the Golden State Freeway, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays entirely within California, connecting the Pacific Coast regions of Anaheim and North Hills. It's a straightforward, highway-focused journey, making it an easy one-day trip. You'll spend most of your time on major freeways, so expect consistent travel conditions. This route is ideal for those prioritizing directness and efficiency in their travel.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Golden State Freeway
22.9 mi
27m
Santa Ana Freeway
21.3 mi
24m
San Diego Freeway
1.5 mi
1m
West Lincoln Avenue
1 mi
2m
Nordhoff Street
0.7 mi
1m
Ronald Reagan Freeway
0.5 mi
<1m
South Anaheim Boulevard
<0.1 mi
<1m
Woodley Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Golden State Freeway
— 22.9 mi, about 27m
Traffic on I-5
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 88 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~8,923 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~1,801 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 7 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 North Hills, 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
23 mi·27 min·Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi·9 sec
Exit 156AToward CA 118 West, CA 118 EastUse the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi·58 sec
Toward CA 118 West
10
Merge onto CA 118
0.5 mi·32 sec·Ronald Reagan Freeway
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi·7 sec
Toward I 405 South: Santa MonicaUse the slight right lane.
12
Continue on this road
1.0 mi·1 min·this road
Exit 42BToward I 405 South: Santa Monica
13
Merge onto I 405
1.5 mi·1 min·San Diego Freeway
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi·25 sec
Exit 69Toward Nordhoff StreetUse the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn right onto Nordhoff Street
0.7 mi·1 min·Nordhoff Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Woodley Avenue
273 ft·5 sec·Woodley Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Woodley Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 25.2 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 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 4.6 and 49.6 — 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.
8
45.5 mi into trip|~55m in
Take the exit toward CA 118 West, CA 118 East
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 156A
Toward CA 118 West, CA 118 East
6
47 mi into trip|~57m in
Take the exit toward I 405 South: Santa Monica
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 405 South: Santa Monica
7
49.6 mi into trip|~1h in
Take the exit toward Nordhoff Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 69
Toward Nordhoff Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.45 one way
$22.89 round trip
$5.76/gal25.4 MPG avg18 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.96
$11.84
$23.68
premium
$6.09
$12.11
$24.22
diesel
$5.40
$10.74
$21.48
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
15.1
0
$5.30
$2.42
Efficient EV
12.6
0
$4.42
$2.02
EV Truck/SUV
20.2
0
$7.07
$3.23
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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 16, 2026
Origin
Anaheim, CA
Evening
in Anaheim on Saturday
Local time
6:18 PM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Partly Sunny
SW 0 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 8:38AM PDT until April 16 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 8:38AM PDT until April 16 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Destination
North Hills, CA
Evening
in North Hills on Saturday
Local time
6:18 PM
PDT
Current temp
79°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
5 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
1h 2m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This is a highway-focused drive, with 91% of the route utilizing major freeways like the Golden State Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway, and San Diego Freeway. You'll encounter a longest continuous stretch of 22.9 miles on the Golden State Freeway. The character of the drive is predominantly fast-paced freeway travel, offering a consistent experience for much of the journey. Expect to maintain highway speeds for the majority of your trip, with limited transitions to surface streets.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.9 mi on Golden State Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Golden State 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 Effort10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.5 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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 45.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 2m. Total distance: 50.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.9 miles on Golden State 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 North Hills, 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 22.6 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 45.5 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 North Hills, CA before heading back.
