Origin
Crestline, CA
Late night in Crestline on Tuesday
Local time
2:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Crestline, CA to Santa Ana, 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
1h 24m
Distance
66.6 mi
107 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Crestline, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Crestline to Santa Ana is 66.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 24 minutes via Riverside Freeway and CA 91, with a fuel budget near $15 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This highway-focused drive primarily takes you through Southern California's Inland Empire region, connecting mountain communities to coastal plains. With 76% of the drive on highways, expect a fairly direct and efficient journey. This is a practical option for a single-day trip, ideal for those looking for a straightforward transit between these two areas without extensive detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Freeway | 20.1 mi | 23m |
| CA 91 | 16.7 mi | 19m |
| Rim of the World Highway | 9.1 mi | 12m |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | 6.9 mi | 7m |
| San Bernardino Freeway | 4.2 mi | 4m |
| Waterman Avenue | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| East 1st Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| CA 259 | 1.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Riverside Freeway
— 20.1 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Crestline, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Pioneer Camp Road
79 ft
·
3 sec
·
Pioneer Camp Road
2
Continue on Lake Drive
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Lake Drive
3
Keep slight left at fork onto Lake Drive
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Lake Drive
4
Turn straight onto CA 138
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
CA 138
5
Turn slight left
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
6
Turn straight onto CA 18
9.1 mi
·
12 min
·
Rim of the World Highway
7
Continue on CA 18
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Waterman Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn right onto CA 18
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
30th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward CA 210 West: Los Angeles, Riverside
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Merge onto CA 210
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
·
Foothill Freeway
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 75B
Toward I 215 South: Riverside
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on CA 259
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
CA 259
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Toward I 215 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 215
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 215
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on CA 91
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Exit 34B
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on CA 91
17 mi
·
19 min
·
CA 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55
6.9 mi
·
7 min
·
Costa Mesa Freeway
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 11B
Toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Turn right onto East 4th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 4th Street
22
Turn left onto Mabury Street
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Mabury Street
Use the left lane.
23
Turn right onto East 1st Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East 1st Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
24
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
33 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 33.3 miles from Crestline, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 13.2 and 64.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
13.2 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the ramp toward CA 210 West: Los Angeles, Riverside
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left / straight lanes.
Toward CA 210 West: Los Angeles, Riverside
7
13.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward I 215 South: Riverside
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 75B
Toward I 215 South: Riverside
7
15.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 215 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 215 South
8
57.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m in
|
CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
8
64.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
Take the exit toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
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 11B
Toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.31 one way
$30.62 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $15.77 | $31.55 |
| premium | $6.18 | $16.20 | $32.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.70 | $29.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20 | 0 | $6.99 | $3.20 |
| Efficient EV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.83 | $2.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.6 | 0 | $9.32 | $4.26 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Santa Ana, CA
Late night in Santa Ana on Tuesday
Local time
2:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°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
10 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
1h 24m 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 highway driving, with 76% of the journey on freeways. You'll experience the Rim of the World Highway transitioning onto the Riverside Freeway and CA 91. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 20.1 miles on the Riverside Freeway, offering a consistent pace. As you descend from the mountain area towards the coast, the landscape will naturally change, moving from higher elevations to the more urbanized plains of Orange County. Expect a mix of open freeway and increasing traffic density as you approach Santa Ana.
76% 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: 20.1 mi on Riverside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and CA 91. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 13.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 66.6 miles you will encounter 14 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: at 13.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.6 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.
On the drive from Crestline, CA to Santa Ana, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Riverside along the way.
Riverside
13.2 mi in
|
~19m
About the Cities
Starting in Crestline, CA
Full guide →Arriving in Santa Ana, CA
Full guide →Founded 1869
Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, Southern California and is the county seat of that county.
Top landmarks
- • Yost Theater — historic movie theater and hotel building in Santa Ana, California, later used b...
- • Santa Ana Fire Station Headquarters No. 1 — fire station in Santa Ana, United States of America
- • Rankin's — historic building in Santa Ana, California, United States
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 1h 24m. Total distance: 66.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.1 miles on Riverside 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 Santa Ana, 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 13.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.6 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 Santa Ana, 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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