Origin
Arcadia, CA
Late night in Arcadia on Tuesday
Local time
5:14 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arcadia, CA to Los Angeles, 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
25m
Distance
17.3 mi
28 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arcadia, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
Arcadia, CA to Los Angeles, CA is 17.3 miles and takes about 25 minutes via San Bernardino Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, connecting two points in California. It's a straightforward drive that's easy to fit into any schedule, offering a practical way to get from one urban area to another. You'll primarily be on a major freeway for much of the way, so expect typical commuter traffic patterns.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino Freeway | 9.9 mi | 11m |
| Temple City Boulevard | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| Huntington Drive | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Sunset Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Los Angeles Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Arcadia Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Bernardino Freeway
— 9.9 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arcadia, CA and Los Angeles, CA.
1
Start on West Huntington Drive
70 ft
·
3 sec
·
West Huntington Drive
2
Turn sharp left onto US 66 Hist
389 ft
·
17 sec
·
West Huntington Drive
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Keep slight left at fork onto Huntington Drive
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Huntington Drive
4
Turn left
207 ft
·
6 sec
Use the left lane.
5
Turn slight left onto South Sunset Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
South Sunset Boulevard
6
Continue on Temple City Boulevard
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Temple City Boulevard
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
8
Merge onto I 10
9.9 mi
·
11 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto US 101
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 2B
Toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Use the slight right lane.
11
Continue on I 10 EXPR
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
East Arcadia Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
12
Turn left onto North Los Angeles Street
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
North Los Angeles Street
13
Turn right onto East 1st Street
461 ft
·
17 sec
·
East 1st Street
14
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 66 Hist / West Huntington Drive
Turn sharp left onto US 66 Hist / West Huntington Drive
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
5
6.2 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Merge onto I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
16.5 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward Alameda Street, Union Station
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 2B
Toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.98 one way
$7.95 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.10 | $8.20 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.21 | $8.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.82 | $7.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.82 | $0.83 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.11 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Los Angeles, CA
Late night in Los Angeles on Tuesday
Local time
5:14 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°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
15 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
25m 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?
About 60% of this 17.3-mile drive is on the San Bernardino Freeway. You'll experience a longest stretch of 9.9 miles on this highway before transitioning to surface streets like Temple City Boulevard and Huntington Drive. This means you'll have a solid period of freeway cruising before entering a more local road environment with more frequent intersections and potentially denser traffic.
60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on San Bernardino Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 66 Hist / West Huntington Drive.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 10 decision points packed into just 17.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 66 Hist / West Huntington Drive): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
About the Cities
Arriving in Los Angeles, CA
Full guide →“Tinseltown” · Founded 1781
Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have quipped, "Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles," a quote that has since been repeated both by those who love and hate L.A. The "City of Angels" is home to people who hail from all parts of the globe and an important center of culture, business, media, and international trade. However, it's most famous for being a major center of the world's television, motion picture, and music industry, which forms the base of the city's status and lures visitors for its show business history and celebrity culture. Visitors are also drawn to Los Angeles for its Mediterranean climate and numerous beaches, which gave birth to California's famed surf culture.
Top landmarks
- • Hollywood Walk of Fame — more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks...
- • Hollywood Sign — sign reading "HOLLYWOOD" located in Los Angeles, California, United States
- • Getty Center — campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust in 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 25m. Total distance: 17.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.9 miles on San Bernardino 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 Los Angeles, 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: near the start (US 66 Hist / West Huntington Drive): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Los Angeles, 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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