Origin
Colfax, CA
Night in Colfax on Saturday
Local time
9:34 PM
PDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colfax, CA to Anaheim, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
8h 31m
Distance
459.1 mi
739 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$106
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
8h 24m
★
6 AM
8h 32m
8 AM
8h 47m
10 AM
8h 37m
12 PM
8h 36m
3 PM
8h 38m
5 PM
8h 46m
8 PM
8h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Colfax, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning 459.1 miles from Colfax to Anaheim, this trip across California covers a significant distance that typically requires about 8 hours and 31 minutes of driving time. Because of the length, I recommend splitting this journey over two days to keep your travel stress-free. With 98% of the route dedicated to highways, you will spend nearly the entire time on major thoroughfares like the Alan S. Hart Freeway and the Westside Freeway. Budget approximately $106 for fuel to cover the trip comfortably. While both cities are located within the Pacific Coast region, the drive provides a direct link between the northern foothills and the southern urban sprawl, making it a highly practical route for those prioritizing efficiency over backroad exploration.
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
229.6 miles from Colfax, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 13m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Westside Freeway | 296.3 mi | 5h 19m |
| I 5 Truck | 83.3 mi | 1h 36m |
| Alan S. Hart Freeway | 32.3 mi | 37m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 20.7 mi | 24m |
| Capital City Freeway | 10.6 mi | 11m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 7.1 mi | 8m |
| Golden State Freeway | 5.3 mi | 6m |
| West Lincoln Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Westside Freeway
— 296.3 mi, about 5h 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colfax, CA and Anaheim, CA.
1
Start on this road
33 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto US 40 Hist
130 ft
·
11 sec
·
South Main Street
3
Turn left onto US 40 Hist
498 ft
·
13 sec
·
Grassvalley Street
4
Turn right onto US 40 Hist
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Auburn Avenue
5
Continue on CA 174
460 ft
·
10 sec
·
South Auburn Street
6
Enter roundabout
155 ft
·
3 sec
Toward I 80 West
7
Continue
492 ft
·
12 sec
Toward I 80 West
8
Merge onto I 80
32 mi
·
37 min
·
Alan S. Hart Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 80
7.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Capital City Freeway
Exit 95
Toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 Business
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Capital City Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Capital City Freeway
Toward US 50 East, I 80 West: South Lake Tahoe, San Francisco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 4A
Toward I 5: Los Angeles, Redding
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 4A
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Use the slight left lane.
15
Merge onto I 5
59 mi
·
1 hr 5 min
·
Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
0.8 mi
·
48 sec
·
Westside Freeway
17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
237 mi
·
4 hr 13 min
·
Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
58 mi
·
1 hr 6 min
·
I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
·
I 5 Truck
Exit 158
Toward I 405 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck
25 mi
·
29 min
·
I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Street, Santa Ana
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
23
Merge onto I 5
21 mi
·
24 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 111
Toward Lincoln Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Turn left onto West Lincoln Avenue
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
West Lincoln Avenue
Use the left lane.
26
Turn right onto South Anaheim Boulevard
370 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Anaheim Boulevard
27
Turn right
200 ft
·
14 sec
28
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
To manage the 8-hour and 31-minute travel time effectively, plan for at least two dedicated stops to stretch your legs and refuel. Since the longest segment covers nearly 300 miles, use those breaks to reset before tackling the remainder of the Westside Freeway. I suggest departing early in the morning to avoid the worst of the traffic as you approach the Anaheim area. Keep your $106 fuel budget in mind when selecting pit stops, and try to time your breaks to coincide with your vehicle's refueling needs. By breaking the trip into two days, you can arrive at your destination refreshed rather than exhausted from a single, long day on the interstate.
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 229.6 miles from Colfax, CA, or about 4h 13m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 296.3 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 101 miles or 1h 55m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 229.6 miles or 4h 13m 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 229.6 miles or 4h 13m
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 7h 18m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Anaheim, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Colfax, 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 Colfax, CA
Aim for roughly 230 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Anaheim, CA
Aim for roughly 230 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 101 miles from Colfax, 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 296.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
230 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 Fresno, CAOvernight Options
Night 1
230 mi · about 4.3h in
A practical overnight split lands near Fresno, CA after about 230 miles or 4.3 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 101 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 229.6 miles from Colfax, 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 296.3 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 230 miles or 4.3 hours on the road.
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 245 decision points cluster between mile 40 and 410.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
40 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 95
Toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
8
48.7 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway toward US 50 East, I 80 West: South Lake Tahoe, San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 50 East, I 80 West: South Lake Tahoe,...
8
50.6 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward I 5: Los Angeles, Redding
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 4A
Toward I 5: Los Angeles, Redding
8
50.8 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 4A
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
8
410.3 mi into trip
|
~7h 31m in
|
I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 405 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 158
Toward I 405 South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$105.52 one way
$211.04 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
161 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $108.74 | $217.48 |
| premium | $6.18 | $111.65 | $223.30 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $101.36 | $202.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$106
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$236–$346
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 160.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $48 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 137.7 | 1 | $48.21 | $22.04 |
| Efficient EV | 114.8 | 1 | $40.17 | $18.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 183.6 | 2 | $64.27 | $29.38 |
Gas CO2
161 kg
EV CO2
54 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.
Destination
Anaheim, CA
Night in Anaheim on Saturday
Local time
9:34 PM
PDT
Current temp
72°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
30 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
8h 31m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
The Santa Monica Mountains offer easy access to surprisingly wild places. Experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. The park abounds with historical and cultura...
22 mi from route
~55 min detour
Free
near mile 411.6
View on nps.gov
César E. Chávez National Monument
National Monument
Yes, we can! Widely recognized as the most important Latino leader in the United States during the twentieth century, Cesar Chavez led farm workers and supporters in the establishment of the country's...
27 mi from route
~67 min detour
Free
near mile 348.3
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
This is a quintessential highway-focused drive, designed for steady speed and direct transit. You will spend the vast majority of your time on high-capacity roads, including a massive, 296.3-mile stretch on the Westside Freeway that serves as the backbone of your journey. Expect a consistent, efficient experience rather than a winding, technical drive, as the route is engineered for movement rather than scenery. The transition from the Alan S. Hart Freeway onto the I-5 corridor keeps the pace brisk as you head south. Behind the wheel, you should be prepared for long, uninterrupted stretches that demand focus and steady cruising speed.
98% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 296.3 mi on Westside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and I 5 Truck. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 40 miles in near I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 24 significant decision points across 459.1 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 40 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.7 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 50.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Colfax, CA and Anaheim, CA, road signs point toward San Francisco, Redding and Santa Ana.
San Francisco
48.7 mi in
|
~56m
|
via I 80 Business
Redding
50.6 mi in
|
~58m
Santa Ana
435.3 mi in
|
~8h 1m
|
via I 5
About the Cities
Starting in Colfax, CA
Full guide →Founded 1910
Colfax is a town in Placer County, California.
Top landmarks
- • Colfax station — railway station in Colfax, California, United States
Arriving in Anaheim, CA
Full guide →Founded 1857
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 296.3 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 230 miles on day one.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Anaheim, 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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 40 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.7 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 50.6 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 and César E. Chávez National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 8.5 hours each way, a round trip means 17.1 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Anaheim, 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, and NPS for national parks. 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 Anaheim, CA
More from Colfax, CA
More trips to Anaheim, CA
Explore more options from Colfax, CA or browse trips ending in Anaheim, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.