Origin
Fontana, CA
Late night in Fontana on Tuesday
Local time
2:19 AM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fontana, CA to Van Nuys, 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 19m
Distance
65.3 mi
105 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 14m
★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 32m
10 AM
1h 24m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 25m
5 PM
1h 32m
8 PM
1h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fontana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Van Nuys, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 65.3-mile drive from Fontana, CA to Van Nuys, CA takes approximately 1 hour and 19 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily travel on Sierra Avenue and the CA 210 West/Foothill Freeway. With a fuel cost estimated at $15 and no stops recommended, this is a straightforward journey. Both your origin and destination are within the Pacific Coast region, so you won't be crossing major geographical boundaries. Plan for a turn-heavy local drive experience rather than a high-speed freeway cruise.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Foothill Freeway | 41.6 mi | 48m |
| Ventura Freeway | 17.3 mi | 19m |
| Sierra Avenue | 3 mi | 4m |
| Van Nuys Boulevard | 2 mi | 4m |
| Merrill Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Victory Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Foothill Freeway
— 41.6 mi, about 48m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fontana, CA and Van Nuys, CA.
1
Start on Merrill Avenue
205 ft
·
6 sec
·
Merrill Avenue
2
Turn right onto Sierra Avenue
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Sierra Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward CA 210 West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Merge onto CA 210
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
20 mi
·
23 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 134
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
Ventura Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 134
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Ventura Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 134
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
Ventura Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 5: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles, Sacramento
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
323 ft
·
4 sec
Toward I 5 North, CA 134 West: Golden State Freeway, Sacramento, Ventura Freeway, Ventura, Zoo Drive
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
Toward CA 134 West: Ventura Freeway, Ventura, Zoo Drive
Use the slight right lane.
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
Toward CA 134: Ventura
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Merge onto CA 134
0.6 mi
·
43 sec
·
Ventura Freeway
18
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 134
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Ventura Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 134
0.8 mi
·
52 sec
·
Ventura Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 134
6.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Ventura Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 17
Toward Van Nuys Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Turn right onto Van Nuys Boulevard
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Van Nuys Boulevard
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
23
Turn left onto Victory Boulevard
73 ft
·
1 sec
·
Victory Boulevard
Use the left lane.
24
Arrive at destination
Victory Boulevard
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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.7 miles from Fontana, 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 225 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 63.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Sierra Avenue
Turn right onto Sierra Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
53 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
Take the exit toward I 5: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles, Sacramento
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 5: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles,...
9
53.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 134 West: Ventura Freeway, Ventura, Zoo Drive
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CA 134 West: Ventura Freeway, Ventura, Z...
8
53.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 134: Ventura
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 134: Ventura
7
63.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
Take the exit toward Van Nuys Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 17
Toward Van Nuys Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.01 one way
$30.02 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $15.47 | $30.93 |
| premium | $6.18 | $15.88 | $31.76 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.42 | $28.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.8 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 | 19.6 | 0 | $6.86 | $3.13 |
| Efficient EV | 16.3 | 0 | $5.71 | $2.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.1 | 0 | $9.14 | $4.18 |
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
Van Nuys, CA
Late night in Van Nuys on Tuesday
Local time
2:19 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
53°F
Pasadena, CA
33 mi in
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
5 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 19m 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 'turn-heavy local drive' profile for this 65.3-mile route. With 0% highway share, you'll be navigating surface streets for the entire duration, unlike a typical freeway journey. While there's no longest uninterrupted stretch noted, the continuous local road nature means you'll be making frequent turns and adjustments. This drive will feel more like a series of connected neighborhood traversals rather than a long, open road experience.
90% 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: 41.6 mi on Foothill Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Foothill Freeway and Ventura Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Sierra Avenue.
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 65.3 miles you will encounter 22 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 (Sierra Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 53 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 53.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Fontana, CA and Van Nuys, CA, road signs point toward Los Angeles, Sacramento and Ventura.
Los Angeles
53 mi in
|
~1h 2m
Sacramento
53 mi in
|
~1h 2m
Ventura
53.3 mi in
|
~1h 3m
About the Cities
Starting in Fontana, CA
Full guide →Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
Arriving in Van Nuys, CA
Full guide →Van Nuys is a prominent neighborhood in the middle of the San Fernando Valley, a part of the city of Los Angeles in Southern California. Although there are few tourist attractions here, Van Nuys serves as a civic and commercial center for the Valley.
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 19m. Total distance: 65.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 41.6 miles on Foothill 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 Van Nuys, 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: near the start (Sierra Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 53 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 53.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Van Nuys, 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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