Origin
Garden Grove, CA
Morning in Garden Grove on Sunday
Local time
7:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Garden Grove, CA to Fontana, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 2m
Distance
50.3 mi
81 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Garden Grove, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Fontana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Planning a quick trip from Garden Grove, CA to Fontana, CA? This 50.3-mile drive should take you about 1 hour and 2 minutes, making it a perfect single-day excursion. You'll primarily be on the Orange Freeway and San Bernardino Freeway, with a stretch on the I-10 Metro ExpressLanes. With a fuel cost estimated at $12, it's an economical option for a short journey. The highway-focused profile means you'll be covering ground efficiently as you travel within the Pacific Coast region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Freeway | 16.2 mi | 18m |
| San Bernardino Freeway | 12.5 mi | 14m |
| I-10 Metro ExpressLanes | 9 mi | 9m |
| Garden Grove Freeway | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| CA 57 | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Sierra Avenue | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Pomona Freeway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| I5 North CA 57 North | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Orange Freeway
— 16.2 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Garden Grove, CA and Fontana, CA.
1
Start on this road
33 ft
·
4 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
246 ft
·
20 sec
3
Turn right
230 ft
·
22 sec
4
At end of road, turn left onto Taft Street
411 ft
·
13 sec
·
Taft Street
5
Turn left onto Century Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Century Boulevard
6
Turn right onto Euclid Street
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Euclid Street
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward CA 22 East
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto CA 22
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Garden Grove Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
299 ft
·
7 sec
Exit 14D
Toward I 5 North, CA 57 North: Los Angeles, Pomona
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I5 North CA 57 North
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
I5 North CA 57 North
Toward I 5 North, CA 57 North
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward CA 57 North: Pomona, Chapman Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward CA 57 North: Pomona
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto CA 57
11 mi
·
13 min
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto CA 60; CA 57
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Pomona Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit onto CA 57
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
CA 57
Exit 25
Toward CA 57 North
Use the slight right lane.
18
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 10 West, I 10 East: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ontario Airport
Use the slight right lane.
19
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San Bernardino
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
20
Merge onto I 10
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 EXPR
9.0 mi
·
9 min
·
I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
Use the slight left lane.
23
Merge onto I 10
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
24
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 64
Toward Sierra Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight left at fork
448 ft
·
12 sec
Toward Sierra Avenue North
Use the left lane.
26
Turn slight left onto Sierra Avenue
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Sierra Avenue
Use the left lane.
27
Turn right onto Merrill Avenue
205 ft
·
4 sec
·
Merrill Avenue
28
Arrive at destination
Merrill Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.2 miles from Garden Grove, 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 255 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 26.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn left toward CA 22 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward CA 22 East
8
4.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 5 North, CA 57 North: Los Angeles, Pomona
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 14D
Toward I 5 North, CA 57 North: Los Angeles, Pom...
8
5.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 57 North: Pomona, Chapman Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 57 North: Pomona, Chapman Avenue
8
5.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 57 North: Pomona
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 57 North: Pomona
8
26.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San Bernardino
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San B...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.56 one way
$23.12 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.91 | $23.83 |
| premium | $6.18 | $12.23 | $24.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.11 | $22.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.28 | $2.41 |
| Efficient EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.40 | $2.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.1 | 0 | $7.04 | $3.22 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (67% 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
Fontana, CA
Morning in Fontana on Sunday
Local time
7:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny
SW 0 to 15 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 7:07AM PDT until April 16 at 9:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 7:07AM PDT until April 17 at 3:00AM 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
2 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 2m 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 highway-focused drive for 92% of this route. The majority of your journey will be on freeways, designed for steady progress. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 16.2 miles on the Orange Freeway. This segment will likely feel like a straightforward commute, with consistent speed limits and minimal interruptions. While it's a highway-centric experience, the transition between the Orange Freeway and the San Bernardino Freeway is a key part of the drive's progression.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.2 mi on Orange Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Orange Freeway and San Bernardino Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 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 50.3 miles you will encounter 25 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 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.2 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 Garden Grove, CA and Fontana, CA, road signs point toward Pomona, San Bernardino and Ontario Airport.
Pomona
4.5 mi in
|
~6m
San Bernardino
26.1 mi in
|
~32m
Ontario Airport
26.1 mi in
|
~32m
About the Cities
Starting in Garden Grove, CA
Full guide →Founded 1874
Garden Grove is a city in Orange County in Southern California.
Arriving in Fontana, CA
Full guide →Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
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 2m. Total distance: 50.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.2 miles on Orange 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 Fontana, 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 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.2 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 Fontana, 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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