Origin
Dana Point, CA
Late night in Dana Point on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Dana Point, CA to San Diego, 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 18m
Distance
64.8 mi
104 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 31m
10 AM
1h 23m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dana Point, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Diego, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning 64.9 miles between Dana Point and San Diego, this coastal trek is a perfect day trip for those looking to traverse the Pacific Coast region. You can expect to spend about 1 hour and 1 minute behind the wheel, making it a highly manageable drive that doesn't require an overnight stay. Budget approximately $15 for fuel to cover the journey, which utilizes a blend of Del Prado Avenue, the Pacific Coast Highway, and I-5 South. Because the entire route stays within California, you will experience a consistent coastal atmosphere from start to finish. It is an ideal choice if you want to get from point A to point B efficiently while enjoying the transition between these two iconic Southern California hubs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 61.9 mi | 1h 12m |
| Pacific Coast Highway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Front Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Del Prado Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Golden Lantern Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 61.9 mi, about 1h 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dana Point, CA and San Diego, CA.
1
Start on Golden Lantern Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Golden Lantern Street
2
Turn left onto Del Prado Avenue
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Del Prado Avenue
3
Turn right onto PCH
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Pacific Coast Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 5 South: San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 5
62 mi
·
1 hr 12 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 17
Toward Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward Front Street, Civic Center
8
Continue on Front Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Front Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
9
Arrive at destination
Front Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.4 miles from Dana Point, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before San Diego Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 61.9 miles.
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 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 64.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
PCH / Pacific Coast Highway
Turn right onto PCH / Pacific Coast Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 5 South: San Diego Freeway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 South: San Diego Freeway
5
2.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 5 / San Diego Freeway
Merge onto I 5 / San Diego Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
64 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Take the exit toward Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd 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 17
Toward Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd Avenue
7
64.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Front Street, Civic Center
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Front Street, Civic Center
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.89 one way
$29.79 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $15.35 | $30.70 |
| premium | $6.18 | $15.76 | $31.52 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.31 | $28.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.7 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 | 19.4 | 0 | $6.80 | $3.11 |
| Efficient EV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.9 | 0 | $9.07 | $4.15 |
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
San Diego, CA
Late night in San Diego on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Partly Sunny
SW 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Lake Wind Advisory
Lake Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 16 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
1h 18m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route features a 0% highway share in terms of its local character. You will navigate through varied surface streets and arterial roads rather than just sitting on a high-speed freeway. The transition from the local lanes of Del Prado Avenue and the Pacific Coast Highway requires your full attention, as the road demands constant engagement. Since there are no designated stops, you are looking at a continuous drive from departure to arrival. This setup keeps you close to the coastal environment, offering a driving experience defined by frequent turns rather than long, uninterrupted stretches of open pavement.
95% 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: 61.9 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near PCH / Pacific Coast Highway.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 18m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (PCH / Pacific Coast Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 5 / San Diego Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
188 ft
16 ft
Total Climb
391 ft
Total Descent
497 ft
Highest Point
188 ft
~4.6 mi in
Elevation Range
173 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in San Diego, CA
Full guide →Founded 1769
From balmy beaches with a laid-back attitude to a gleaming modern image, San Diego offers much for the tourist to enjoy. Situated on the Southern California seacoast, San Diego is the second largest city in the state, with 1.4 million residents (2020), and has long attracted travelers for its ideal climate, miles of beaches, and location on the Mexican border right across from Tijuana. But there's much more here than surfer culture and a quick hop across the border. A rich maritime and military heritage lives on in San Diego, which is home to the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy. The city has also become known for its part in the wildlife conservation movement, owing to the presence of the world-renowned San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Natural scenery abounds from rocky tidepools and seaside cliffs to desert hills and canyons inland.
Top landmarks
- • Balboa Park — historic park in San Diego, California
- • Cabrillo National Monument — National Monument of the United States and historic district
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 18m. Total distance: 64.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 61.9 miles on San Diego Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 6 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.
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 0.3 miles (PCH / Pacific Coast Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 5 / San Diego Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Cabrillo National Monument. 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 San Diego, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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