Aliso Creek Rest Area (Southbound)
0 mi from route
Trip from Chula Vista, CA to Waldon, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
9h 14m
Distance
492.4 mi
793 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$112
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
9h 6m
★
6 AM
9h 14m
8 AM
9h 31m
10 AM
9h 20m
12 PM
9h 19m
3 PM
9h 21m
5 PM
9h 30m
8 PM
9h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chula Vista, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Waldon, CA
Jan Dvorak
Trip Overview
The drive from Chula Vista, CA to Waldon, CA covers 492.4 miles and takes about 9h 14m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Westside Freeway, San Diego Freeway, Golden State Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 225.6 miles on Westside Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $112.19 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
246.2 miles from Chula Vista, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 46m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Westside Freeway | 225.6 mi | 4h 1m |
| San Diego Freeway | 60.9 mi | 1h 11m |
| Golden State Freeway | 50 mi | 57m |
| I 5 Truck | 45.3 mi | 52m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 30.4 mi | 35m |
| Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway | 19.6 mi | 22m |
| Jacob Dekema Freeway | 18.7 mi | 21m |
| William Elton Brown Freeway | 17 mi | 18m |
Longest stretch:
Westside Freeway
— 225.6 mi, about 4h 1m
Traffic on I-5
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 460 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~3,834 veh/hr typical · worst 4,705
Quietest
2 AM
~535 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 96 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 Chula Vista, CA and Waldon, CA.
1
Start on F Street
52 ft
·
3 sec
·
F Street
2
Turn left onto 4th Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
4th Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on Highland Avenue
478 ft
·
10 sec
·
Highland Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward CA 54 East
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto CA 54
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
South Bay Freeway
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 2
Toward I 805
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 805 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 805
19 mi
·
21 min
·
Jacob Dekema Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
55 sec
10
Merge onto I 5
35 mi
·
41 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
18 mi
·
20 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
7.4 mi
·
8 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 5 Truck
Toward Bake Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
I 5 Truck
Use the slight right lane.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 100
Toward Jamboree Road
Use the slight right lane.
16
Continue on this road
527 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
17
Turn right onto Jamboree Road
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Jamboree Road
Use the left / right lanes.
18
Turn left onto El Camino Real
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
El Camino Real
Use the left lane.
19
Turn left onto Newport Avenue
357 ft
·
13 sec
·
Newport Avenue
Use the left lane.
20
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
21
Merge onto I 5
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
23
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
9.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
24
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
25 mi
·
29 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
27
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 5 Truck
Exit 161A
Toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
28
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck
36 mi
·
41 min
·
I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
22 mi
·
25 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
226 mi
·
4 hr 1 min
·
Westside Freeway
Toward I 5 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
31
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
16 mi
·
17 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
Toward I 580 West: Tracy, San Francisco
32
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 Bypass
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
33
Merge onto I 580
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
34
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
35
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 44B
Toward I 680 South, I 680 North: San Jose, Sacramento, Concord, Walnut Creek
Use the slight right lane.
36
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 680 North: Walnut Creek, Concord, Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
37
Merge onto I 680
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
38
Continue on I 680
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Toward I 680, CA 24
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
39
Take the exit
410 ft
·
9 sec
Exit 48
Toward Treat Boulevard, Geary Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
40
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward Contra Costa Centre Transit Village, Silicon Valley College, Chapman University, Treat Boulevard, Geary Road, Oak Park Boulevard
41
Turn right onto Treat Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Treat Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
42
Arrive at destination
Treat Boulevard
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 246.2 miles from Chula Vista, CA, or about 4h 46m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 225.6 miles.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 108 miles or 2h 10m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 246.2 miles or 4h 46m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 246.2 miles or 4h 46m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 8h 6m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Waldon, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Chula Vista, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Chula Vista, CA
Aim for roughly 246 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Waldon, CA
Aim for roughly 246 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 108 miles from Chula Vista, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Westside Freeway for about 225.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
246 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Los Angeles, CAOvernight Options
Night 1
246 mi · about 4.6h in
A practical overnight split lands near Los Angeles, CA after about 246 miles or 4.6 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 108 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 246.2 miles from Chula Vista, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Westside Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 225.6 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 246 miles or 4.6 hours on the road.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Stops Along Your Drive
Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.
Water
0.1 mi from route
Dos Amigos Vista Point
0.1 mi from route
EZ Trip Travel Center
0.1 mi from route
EZ Trip Travel Center
0.1 mi from route
Castaic Truck Stop
0.1 mi from route
Tejon Pass Rest Area - Southbound
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Coalinga Avenal Safety Roadside Rest Area - Northbound
0.2 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.2 mi from route
Coalinga - Avenal Rest Area - Southbound
0.2 mi from route
Coalinga - Avenal Rest Area - Northbound
0.2 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.2 mi from route
John "Chuck" Erreca Southbound Rest Area
0.2 mi from route
Buttonwillow Rest Area
0.2 mi from route
Buttonwillow Rest Area
0.2 mi from route
Aliso Creek Rest Area (Northbound)
0.2 mi from route
Westley Rest Area
0.2 mi from route
Tejon Pass Rest Area - Northbound
0.2 mi from route
Petro Stopping Centers
0.2 mi from route
TA
0.2 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.2 mi from route
TA
0.2 mi from route
Lost Hills Travel Center
0.2 mi from route
John "Chuck" Erreca Northbound Rest Area
0.3 mi from route
Westley Rest Area
0.3 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.3 mi from route
TA
0.4 mi from route
Rest Area
0.6 mi from route
Flying J Travel Center
0.8 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.9 mi from route
Rayzilla Viewpoint
1.3 mi from route
Service Plaza
1.3 mi from route
Rayzilla Rest Area
1.3 mi from route
Service Plaza
1.5 mi from route
Rest Area
1.6 mi from route
Rest Area
1.7 mi from route
Rest Area
1.8 mi from route
Petro Stopping Centers
2 mi from route
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 385 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 491.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
1.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward I 805
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 2
Toward I 805
9
151.6 mi into trip
|
~3h in
|
I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 161A
Toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
8
473.7 mi into trip
|
~8h 51m in
Take the exit toward I 680 South, I 680 North: San Jose, Sacramento, Concord, Walnut Creek
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 44B
Toward I 680 South, I 680 North: San Jose, Sacr...
9
473.8 mi into trip
|
~8h 52m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 680 North: Walnut Creek, Concord, Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 680 North: Walnut Creek, Concord, Sacr...
8
491.9 mi into trip
|
~9h 13m in
Take the exit toward Treat Boulevard, Geary Road
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 48
Toward Treat Boulevard, Geary Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$112.19 one way
$224.37 round trip
$5.79/gal
25.4 MPG avg
172 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $115.52 | $231.04 |
| premium | $6.14 | $119.03 | $238.06 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $115.68 | $231.35 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$112
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$242–$352
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 172.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $52 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 147.7 | 1 | $51.70 | $23.64 |
| Efficient EV | 123.1 | 1 | $43.09 | $19.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 197 | 2 | $68.94 | $31.51 |
Gas CO2
172 kg
EV CO2
58 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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.
Origin
Chula Vista, CA
Evening in Chula Vista on Friday
Local time
5:33 PM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Waldon, CA
Evening in Waldon on Friday
Local time
5:33 PM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
9h 14m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
492.4 mi in 9h 14m, mostly highway — 225.6 mi of that is on Westside Freeway.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
42 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 225.6 mi on Westside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and San Diego Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 38 significant decision points across 492.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 151.6 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 473.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Hilly terrain with moderate elevation changes
2,854 ft
14 ft
Total Climb
3,600 ft
Total Descent
3,575 ft
Highest Point
2,854 ft
~175.9 mi in
Elevation Range
2,840 ft
Notable High Points
2,854 ft at ~175.9 miles
+1,846 ft prominence
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 Chula Vista, CA to Waldon, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Francisco along the way.
San Francisco
437.1 mi in
|
~8h 11m
|
via I 580
About the Cities
Starting in Chula Vista, CA
Full guide →Founded 1911
Chula Vista is a large city in San Diego County in Southern California. It was a farming and dairy city in the early 20th century. By the early 21st century the city had grown tremendously with the addition of several prominent suburbs and business districts. === Understand === Chula Vista Convention & Visitors Bureau website
Arriving in Waldon, CA
Full guide →City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 225.6 miles on Westside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 246 miles on day one.
Yes — we found about 41 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Waldon, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 2 meaningful breaks. There are 41 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 151.6 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 473.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Not recommended in a single day. At 9.2 hours each way, a round trip means 18.5 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Waldon, CA before the return drive.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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