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Trip from Dorris, CA to Macdoel, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

13m

Distance

10.9 mi

18 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 12m ★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m ★

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Dorris, CA, CA

Dorris, CA

Ernesto Rosas

Downtown Macdoel, CA, CA

Macdoel, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

This brief 10.9-mile journey from Dorris, CA to Macdoel, CA takes about 13 minutes to complete. Primarily following US 97, this drive is a straightforward highway-focused experience. With a minimal fuel cost estimated at $3, it's an easy addition to any Pacific Coast itinerary. As a very short trip, it's perfectly suited for a single day, allowing ample time for exploration at either end. You won't need to worry about overnight stays for this particular segment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 97 9.9 mi 11m
North Main Street 0.3 mi <1m
South Butte Street 0.3 mi <1m
Old State Highway 0.2 mi <1m
West 4th Street 0.1 mi <1m
Alvarado Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 97 — 9.9 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Dorris, CA and Macdoel, CA.

1

Start on this road

72 ft · 10 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto North Main Street

0.3 mi · 30 sec · North Main Street
3

Turn right onto US 97

0.1 mi · 9 sec · West 4th Street
4

Turn slight left onto US 97

0.3 mi · 20 sec · South Butte Street
5

Continue on US 97

9.9 mi · 11 min · US 97
6

Turn slight left onto Old State Highway

0.2 mi · 36 sec · Old State Highway
7

Turn right onto Alvarado Street

132 ft · 5 sec · Alvarado Street
8

Arrive at destination

Alvarado Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

3 of 3

3 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.9 — 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 Main Street

Turn left onto North Main Street

Navigation decision point

3
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 97 / West 4th Street

Turn right onto US 97 / West 4th Street

Navigation decision point

4
10.9 mi into trip | ~13m in | Alvarado Street

Turn right onto Alvarado Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.42 one way

$4.83 round trip

$5.63/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.81 $2.49 $4.99
premium $5.98 $2.57 $5.14
diesel $5.60 $2.40 $4.81

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.3 0 $1.14 $0.52
Efficient EV 2.7 0 $0.95 $0.44
EV Truck/SUV 4.4 0 $1.53 $0.70

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.

Forecast as of Aug 17, 2026

Origin

Dorris, CA

Late night in Dorris on Friday

Local time

1:26 AM

PDT

Current temp

51°F

Mostly Cloudy

WSW 5 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued August 17 at 12:03AM MST until August 21 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 16 at 12:21PM PDT until August 20 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Destination

Macdoel, CA

Late night in Macdoel on Friday

Local time

1:26 AM

PDT

Current temp

48°F

Mostly Cloudy

SE 1 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued August 17 at 12:03AM MST until August 21 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 16 at 12:21PM PDT until August 20 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

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

3 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

13m 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?

The drive is overwhelmingly a highway experience, with 90% of the route on main roads like US 97, North Main Street, and South Butte Street. You'll encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 9.9 miles on US 97, indicating a consistent pace for most of the journey. This profile suggests a drive that prioritizes efficient travel over varied scenery, keeping you on well-maintained, likely faster roads for the majority of the time. Expect a smooth and direct path between these two California locations.

90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on US 97.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 97 and North Main Street. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Main Street.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Dorris, CA to Macdoel, CA is easy. At 13m with 90% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 97 / West 4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 10.9 miles (Alvarado Street): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

4,269 ft 4,240 ft

Total Climb

33 ft

Total Descent

8 ft

Highest Point

4,269 ft

~10.9 mi in

Elevation Range

30 ft

Notable High Points

4,244 ft at ~0.8 miles +0 ft prominence
4,241 ft at ~3.9 miles +0 ft prominence
4,241 ft at ~5.5 miles +1 ft prominence
4,244 ft at ~7.8 miles +2 ft prominence

About the Cities

Starting in Dorris, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1908

Dorris is a city in the Shasta Cascades region of California.

Arriving in Macdoel, CA

Full guide →

Macdoel is a town in Siskiyou County in California. To get there from Weed, turn on US-97 N until you reach it. It is nearby Meiss Lake, and has an elementary school. Potato manufacturing is big here.

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 13m. Total distance: 10.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (90%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9.9 miles on US 97. 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 Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 97 / West 4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 10.9 miles (Alvarado Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes — Lava Beds National Monument and Tule Lake 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 Macdoel, 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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