Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
32.2 mi
52 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Escondido, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Grossmont, CA
Stephen Leonardi
This 32.2-mile drive from Escondido to Grossmont, California, is a quick 40-minute journey perfect for a single day trip. You'll primarily travel on the Escondido Freeway, Mission Valley Freeway, and Tony Gwynn Memorial Freeway, with 86% of the route being highway driving. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $7, making it an economical option. Given its short duration and highway focus, this route is best suited for a single-day excursion without the need for an overnight stay. It offers a straightforward transit experience within the Pacific Coast region of California.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Escondido Freeway | 14 mi | 16m |
| Mission Valley Freeway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Tony Gwynn Memorial Freeway | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| South Centre City Parkway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Semper Fi Highway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Grossmont Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Grossmont Summit Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Fuerte Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 44 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~7,689 veh/hr typical
Quietest
1 AM
~674 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Escondido, CA and Grossmont, CA.
Start on Grand Avenue
Turn left onto I 15 BUS
Merge onto I 15; US 395 Hist
Continue on I 15
Continue on I 15
Continue on I 15
Continue on I 15
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 8
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto Severin Drive
Turn left onto Fuerte Drive
Turn left onto Grossmont Boulevard
Turn right onto Grossmont Summit Drive
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 24.1 and 31.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward I 8 East, I 8 West: El Centro, Beaches, Camino Del Rio South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 8 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Severin Drive, Fuerte Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Fuerte Drive, Severin Drive
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto Severin Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$6.74 one way
$13.47 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.52 | $7.00 | $13.99 |
| premium | $5.67 | $7.18 | $14.36 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $6.08 | $12.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.38 | $1.55 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.51 | $2.06 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Escondido on Monday
Local time
3:48 AM
PDT
Current temp
81°F
Mostly Sunny
Lake Wind Advisory
Lake Wind Advisory issued July 3 at 12:31PM PDT until July 4 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Destination
Late night in Grossmont on Monday
Local time
3:48 AM
PDT
Current temp
80°F
Mostly Sunny
Lake Wind Advisory
Lake Wind Advisory issued July 3 at 12:31PM PDT until July 4 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Expect a highway-focused drive for most of this 32.2-mile trip, with 86% of the journey on major freeways. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be approximately 14 miles on the Escondido Freeway. The route is characterized by its efficient, high-speed travel, designed for covering distance quickly rather than for leisurely sightseeing. While primarily freeway, the transition between the Escondido Freeway, Mission Valley Freeway, and Tony Gwynn Memorial Freeway provides a sense of progression as you move towards your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Escondido Freeway and Mission Valley Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 24.1 miles in.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 32.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 24.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,050 ft
Total Descent
1,026 ft
Highest Point
743 ft
~9.2 mi in
Elevation Range
661 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Escondido, CA and Grossmont, CA, road signs point toward Beaches and Camino Del Rio South.
Beaches
Camino Del Rio South
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Early in the drive, short detour
San Diego, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Su 04:00-19:30
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, short detour
Escondido
Cafe
Near the end, short detour
La Mesa
Cuisine: bagel;coffee_shop;sandwich
Hours: Mo-Sa 08:00-19:00; Su 08:00-18:00
Visit websiteCafe
Near the end, short detour
La Mesa
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Sa 07:00-18:00; Su 07:00-17:00
Cafe
Early in the drive, short detour
Poway, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Fr 05:30-21:00; Sa-Su 06:00-21:00
Visit websiteCafe
Near the end, short detour
La Mesa, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteFast_food
Near the end, right off the route
La Mesa, CA
Cuisine: sandwich
Hours: 08:00-21:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Early in the drive, right off the route
San Diego, CA
Cuisine: breakfast;pancake
Hours: 06:30-22:00
Visit websiteFast_food
Early in the drive, right off the route
San Diego, CA
Cuisine: kebab
Visit websiteFast_food
Near the end, right off the route
San Diego, CA
Cuisine: pizza
Hours: Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00; Su...
Visit websiteRestaurant
Around the midpoint, right off the route
San Diego, CA
Cuisine: american
Hours: 24/7
Visit websiteFast_food
Early in the drive, right off the route
San Diego, CA
Cuisine: burger
Visit websitePark
Early in the drive, right off the route
Park
Near the end, right off the route
Park
Later in the drive, short detour
Park
Near the end, short detour
Park
Early in the drive, short detour
Park
Near the end, short detour
Hotel
Early in the drive, right off the route
San Diego, CA
Visit websiteMotel
Near the end, right off the route
San Diego
Hotel
Near the start, short detour
Escondido
Visit websiteHotel
Early in the drive, short detour
San Diego, CA
Hotel
Near the end, short detour
El Cajon, CA
Visit websiteMotel
Near the end, short detour
San Diego
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
Founded 1888
Escondido is a city in North San Diego County in Southern California.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 32.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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