Origin
Buena Park, CA
Late night in Buena Park on Tuesday
Local time
5:04 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buena Park, CA to Fontana, 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
57m
Distance
47.7 mi
77 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 53m
★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 1m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buena Park, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Fontana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Buena Park, CA to Fontana, CA is 47.7 miles and takes about 57m via San Bernardino Freeway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused drive connecting two points within Southern California's Pacific Coast region. Expect a relatively short trip, making it ideal for a quick transition between these two cities. The route is almost entirely on major freeways, so it's less about scenic vistas and more about efficient travel. Consider this a practical transit rather than a destination-driven journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino Freeway | 12.5 mi | 14m |
| Orange Freeway | 11.3 mi | 13m |
| I-10 Metro ExpressLanes | 9 mi | 9m |
| Riverside Freeway | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| CA 57 | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Sierra Avenue | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Pomona Freeway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Bernardino Freeway
— 12.5 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buena Park, CA and Fontana, CA.
1
Start on CA 39
14 ft
·
1 sec
·
Beach Boulevard
2
Continue on CA 39
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Beach Boulevard
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 5 South
4
Merge onto I 5
0.4 mi
·
25 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
5
Take the exit
1.2 mi
·
1 min
Exit 114B
Toward CA 91 East: Riverside
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto CA 91
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward CA 57 North, CA 57 South: Pomona, Santa Ana
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward CA 57 North: Pomona
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto CA 57
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto CA 60; CA 57
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Pomona Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit onto CA 57
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
CA 57
Exit 25
Toward CA 57 North
Use the slight right lane.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 10 West, I 10 East: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ontario Airport
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San Bernardino
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto I 10
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 EXPR
9.0 mi
·
9 min
·
I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
Use the slight left lane.
19
Merge onto I 10
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
20
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 64
Toward Sierra Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight left at fork
448 ft
·
12 sec
Toward Sierra Avenue North
Use the left lane.
22
Turn slight left onto Sierra Avenue
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Sierra Avenue
Use the left lane.
23
Turn right onto Merrill Avenue
205 ft
·
4 sec
·
Merrill Avenue
24
Arrive at destination
Merrill Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.9 miles from Buena Park, 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 225 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 45.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward CA 91 East: Riverside
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 114B
Toward CA 91 East: Riverside
7
7.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward CA 57 North, CA 57 South: Pomona, Santa Ana
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CA 57 North, CA 57 South: Pomona, Santa...
7
7.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 57 North: Pomona
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 57 North: Pomona
8
23.7 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San Bernardino
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San B...
8
45.9 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Sierra Avenue North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward Sierra Avenue North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.96 one way
$21.93 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.30 | $22.60 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.60 | $23.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.53 | $21.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
| Efficient EV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.68 | $3.05 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Fontana, CA
Late night in Fontana on Tuesday
Local time
5:04 AM
PDT
Current temp
69°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
3 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
57m 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 predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 89% of it on major freeways like the San Bernardino Freeway and Orange Freeway. You'll experience stretches of fast-paced driving, including one continuous segment of 12.5 miles on the San Bernardino Freeway. The I-10 Metro ExpressLanes offer an alternative for faster, albeit tolled, travel. Given its highway nature, the road character remains consistent for most of the journey, prioritizing direct travel over varied landscapes.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.5 mi on San Bernardino Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Bernardino Freeway and Orange Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
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 22 decision points packed into just 47.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Between Buena Park, CA and Fontana, CA, road signs point toward Santa Ana, San Bernardino and Ontario Airport.
Santa Ana
7.1 mi in
|
~8m
San Bernardino
23.5 mi in
|
~28m
Ontario Airport
23.5 mi in
|
~28m
About the Cities
Arriving in Fontana, CA
Full guide →Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
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 57m. Total distance: 47.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
57m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.5 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 Fontana, 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 0.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.2 miles: 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 Fontana, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Fontana, CA
More from Buena Park, CA
More trips to Fontana, CA
Explore more options from Buena Park, CA or browse trips ending in Fontana, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.