Glendale, CA to Russ, CA is 36.6 miles and takes about 45 minutes via Golden State Freeway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Pacific Coast region, making it a convenient hop between two points in California. Given its brief duration and mostly highway profile, this route is ideal for a quick transit or a segment of a larger trip. You'll spend most of your time on the freeway, so plan for typical freeway conditions rather than winding scenic byways.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Golden State Freeway
17.6 mi
20m
CA 14 Truck
10.8 mi
12m
Soledad Canyon Road
4.8 mi
7m
I 5 Truck
1.5 mi
1m
West Colorado Street
0.7 mi
1m
Colorado Street Freeway Extension
0.6 mi
<1m
Lost Canyon Road
<0.1 mi
<1m
South Brand Boulevard
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Golden State Freeway
— 17.6 mi, about 20m
Traffic on I-5
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 96 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~5,928 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~1,015 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 10 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Glendale, CA and Russ, CA.
1
Start on South Brand Boulevard
43 ft·3 sec·South Brand Boulevard
2
Turn right
211 ft·20 sec
3
Turn left onto West Colorado Street
0.7 mi·1 min·West Colorado Street
4
Turn left onto Colorado Street Freeway Extension
0.6 mi·38 sec·Colorado Street Freeway Extension
Toward I 5Use the left lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward I 5 North: SacramentoUse the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 5
15 mi·17 min·Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
2.2 mi·2 min·Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
1.5 mi·1 min·I 5 Truck
Exit 161AToward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 TruckUse the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 14 Truck
11 mi·12 min·CA 14 Truck
Toward CA 14 North: Palmdale, LancasterUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·32 sec
Exit 11Toward Soledad Canyon RoadUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on Lost Canyon Road
418 ft·9 sec·Lost Canyon Road
12
Turn right onto Soledad Canyon Road
4.8 mi·7 min·Soledad Canyon Road
13
Arrive at destination
Soledad Canyon Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 18.3 miles from Glendale, 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 31.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.3 mi into trip|~2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 5 North: Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 5 North: Sacramento
6
16.9 mi into trip|~20m in|I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
19.1 mi into trip|~23m in|I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 161A
Toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
8
20.6 mi into trip|~24m in|CA 14 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 14 Truck toward CA 14 North: Palmdale, Lancaster
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 14 North: Palmdale, Lancaster
7
31.5 mi into trip|~37m in
Take the exit toward Soledad Canyon Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 11
Toward Soledad Canyon Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.66 one way
$15.31 round trip
$5.31/gal25.4 MPG avg13 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.52
$7.95
$15.91
premium
$5.67
$8.16
$16.33
diesel
$4.80
$6.91
$13.82
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
11
0
$3.84
$1.76
Efficient EV
9.2
0
$3.20
$1.46
EV Truck/SUV
14.6
0
$5.12
$2.34
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 Jul 19, 2026
Origin
Glendale, CA
Evening
in Glendale on Monday
Local time
7:53 PM
PDT
Current temp
87°F
Sunny
SSW 10 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 19 at 3:37PM PDT until July 20 at 6:00PM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 19 at 11:41AM PDT until July 20 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Reno NV
Destination
Russ, CA
Evening
in Russ on Monday
Local time
7:53 PM
PDT
Current temp
92°F
Sunny
SW 15 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 19 at 3:37PM PDT until July 20 at 6:00PM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 19 at 11:41AM PDT until July 20 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Reno NV
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
45m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly highway, with 84% of the 36.6 miles on freeways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 17.6 miles on the Golden State Freeway before transitioning to surface roads. Expect the feel of urban merging and dense exits as you navigate the initial highway portion, with a shift to a more local road experience as you approach your destination.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.6 mi on Golden State Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Golden State Freeway and CA 14 Truck. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in.
Driving Effort9/10
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 10 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.9 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.1 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
2,031 ft464 ft
Total Climb
1,674 ft
Total Descent
164 ft
Highest Point
2,031 ft
~36.6 mi in
Elevation Range
1,568 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Glendale, CA to Russ, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Lancaster along the way.
Glendale is a suburban city of 205,000 people (2019) in the southeastern corner of the San Fernando Valley of Southern California between Burbank and Downtown Los Angeles. Glendale has one of the largest communities of Armenian descent in the United States. In addition to central Glendale, this article covers the Crescenta Valley communities of La Crescenta, Montrose, Verdugo City, and the part of Glendale in the Crescenta Valley.
Top landmarks
•Forest Lawn Memorial Park — cemetery in Glendale, California
•Glendale Transportation Center — railway station
•Grand Central Airport — airport in Glendale, Los Angeles
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 36.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.6 miles on Golden State 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 Russ, 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 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.9 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.1 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. 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 Russ, CA before heading back.
