Origin
Burbank, CA
Morning in Burbank on Sunday
Local time
7:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Burbank, CA to Los Angeles, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
16m
Distance
11.5 mi
18 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burbank, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
Traveling the 11.5 miles from Burbank to Los Angeles is a quick, straightforward trip that typically takes about 16 minutes behind the wheel. Because this is such a short journey within the Pacific Coast region, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You will primarily navigate via the Golden State Freeway, North Broadway, and the Arroyo Seco Parkway. With a fuel cost estimate of just $2, the drive is incredibly budget-friendly for any local commute or quick visit. You do not need to worry about overnight logistics for this transit, as it functions best as a direct, efficient link between the two cities. Whether you are heading into the heart of the city for work or leisure, this route provides a practical connection that gets you to your destination in under twenty minutes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Golden State Freeway | 7.7 mi | 8m |
| North Broadway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Arroyo Seco Parkway | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| North Hill Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Ikea Way | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Verdugo Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Front Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Golden State Freeway
— 7.7 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Burbank, CA and Los Angeles, CA.
1
Start on East Olive Avenue
517 ft
·
18 sec
·
East Olive Avenue
2
Turn left onto South First Street
432 ft
·
9 sec
·
South First Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on Ikea Way
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Ikea Way
4
Turn right onto East Verdugo Avenue
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
East Verdugo Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Continue on South Front Street
526 ft
·
11 sec
·
South Front Street
6
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto I 5
7.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward CA 110 South: Arroyo Seco Parkway, Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 137B
Toward CA 110 South: Arroyo Seco Parkway, Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Merge onto CA 110; US 6 Hist; US 66 Hist
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
Arroyo Seco Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 24C
Toward Civic Center, Hill Street
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
12
Continue on this road
50 ft
·
1 sec
·
this road
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn slight right onto North Hill Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
North Hill Street
14
Turn left onto West College Street
404 ft
·
15 sec
·
West College Street
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto North Broadway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Broadway
Use the straight lane.
16
Turn left onto West 1st Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 10 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South First Street
Turn left onto South First Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Verdugo Avenue
Turn right onto East Verdugo Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
9
8.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 110 South: Arroyo Seco Parkway, Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 137B
Toward CA 110 South: Arroyo Seco Parkway, Los A...
8
10 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward Civic Center, Hill Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 24C
Toward Civic Center, Hill Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.64 one way
$5.29 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.72 | $5.45 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.80 | $5.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.54 | $5.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.21 | $0.55 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.61 | $0.74 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Morning in Los Angeles on Sunday
Local time
7:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
84°F
Sunny
S 5 to 10 mph
0% chance
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
10 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
16m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience, as roughly 73% of this route is spent on major thoroughfares. You will spend the bulk of your time on the Golden State Freeway, which features the longest uninterrupted stretch of 7.7 miles. The transition from the freeway onto North Broadway and the Arroyo Seco Parkway marks a shift from high-speed driving to a more urban traffic flow. While the drive is relatively short, the personality of the road changes quickly from open lanes to a more integrated city street experience. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive that prioritizes speed and efficiency over scenic detours or complex road types.
73% 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: 7.7 mi on Golden State Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Golden State Freeway and North Broadway. 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 South First Street.
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 12 decision points packed into just 11.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 16m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South First Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (East Verdugo Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: 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.
On the drive from Burbank, CA to Los Angeles, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Civic Center along the way.
Civic Center
10 mi in
|
~13m
About the Cities
Starting in Burbank, CA
Full guide →Founded 1887
The self-declared "Media Capital of the World", Burbank is a small city in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, in the Los Angeles area. It is the home of the headquarters and primary studios of Warner Bros. and Disney, and of the animation studios of Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.
Top landmarks
- • Walt Disney Studios — film studio in Burbank, California, United States
- • Warner Bros. Water Tower — Historic water tower on the Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank, California; als...
- • Burbank City Hall — City hall in California, United States
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 16m. Total distance: 11.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.7 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 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: at 0.1 miles (South First Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (East Verdugo Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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