Origin
Colton, CA
Late night in Colton on Tuesday
Local time
3:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colton, CA to Riverside, 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
15m
Distance
10.7 mi
17 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Colton, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 10.7-mile drive from Colton, CA to Riverside, CA is easily doable in about 15 minutes, making it perfect for a day trip. With a modest fuel cost of around $2, this route focuses heavily on highways, accounting for 71% of the journey. You'll primarily be on the Riverside Freeway, North Mount Vernon Avenue, and Central Avenue. Given its short distance and duration, no overnight stay is necessary. The drive stays within the Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward, efficient transit between two points in Southern California.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Freeway | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| North Mount Vernon Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| Central Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Colton Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Riverside Freeway
— 7.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colton, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on North Colton Avenue
74 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Colton Avenue
2
Turn left onto North Mount Vernon Avenue
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Mount Vernon Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
this road
4
Merge onto I 215
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on CA 91
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Exit 34B
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 62
Toward Central Avenue, Riverside Plaza Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto Central Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn slight left
171 ft
·
12 sec
Use the left lane.
9
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Mount Vernon Avenue
Turn left onto North Mount Vernon Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 215 / Riverside Freeway
Merge onto I 215 / Riverside Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
9.8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward Central Avenue, Riverside Plaza Avenue
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 62
Toward Central Avenue, Riverside Plaza Avenue
5
10 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
Central Avenue
Turn right onto Central Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
10.7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Turn slight left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.46 one way
$4.92 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.53 | $5.07 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.60 | $5.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.36 | $4.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.7 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 | 3.2 | 0 | $1.12 | $0.51 |
| Efficient EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.94 | $0.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.68 |
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
Riverside, CA
Late night in Riverside on Tuesday
Local time
3:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°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
1 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
15m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience on this 10.7-mile trip, with 71% of the drive utilizing freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.5 miles on the Riverside Freeway, providing a good opportunity to settle into a steady pace. The route transitions between the Riverside Freeway and local roads like North Mount Vernon Avenue and Central Avenue, so be prepared for a slight change in traffic patterns and speed as you approach your destination. It's a predominantly fast-paced drive with minimal complexity.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.5 mi on Riverside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and North Mount Vernon Avenue. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Mount Vernon Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 10.7 miles you will encounter 6 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Mount Vernon Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (I 215 / Riverside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Colton, CA
Full guide →Colton is a city in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
Arriving in Riverside, CA
Full guide →Founded 1870
Riverside is a city in Riverside County in California. With a population of over 300,000, the city plays host to a diverse cross-section of people and has a rich history. Riverside is approximately 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. It is a center for higher education, with one community college, a large state university, and two private universities. A hub of regional commerce and transportation, it is a city with an intriguing past and a promising future, and is worth a visit.
Top landmarks
- • Mission Inn — hotel in Riverside, California
- • Universalist Unitarian Church of Riverside — church building in Riverside, California, USA
- • First Congregational Church of Riverside — church building in Riverside, California, United States of America
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 15m. Total distance: 10.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.5 miles on Riverside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (North Mount Vernon Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (I 215 / Riverside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Riverside, 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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