Skip to main content

Trip from Los Angeles, CA to Glendale, CA

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

14m

Distance

9 mi

14 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 13m ★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 16m
8 PM
0h 13m ★

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

Downtown los-angeles-ca

Los Angeles, CA

Stephen Leonardi

city in Los Angeles County, California, United States

Glendale, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Los Angeles to Glendale is 9 miles and takes about 14m via Golden State Freeway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within California's Pacific Coast region. It's a straightforward urban drive, ideal for a quick commute or a brief excursion. Given its minimal distance and duration, you won't need extensive planning for this particular leg of your travels.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Golden State Freeway 4.5 mi 5m
North Broadway 0.9 mi 1m
Arroyo Seco Parkway 0.8 mi 1m
West Colorado Street 0.7 mi 1m
Colorado Street Freeway Extension 0.6 mi <1m
North Hill Street 0.3 mi <1m
US 6 Hist 0.3 mi <1m
West 1st Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Golden State Freeway — 4.5 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Los Angeles, CA and Glendale, CA.

1

Start on West 1st Street

0.1 mi · 32 sec · West 1st Street
2

Turn right onto North Broadway

0.9 mi · 1 min · North Broadway
3

Turn left onto West College Street

404 ft · 15 sec · West College Street
Use the left lane.
4

Turn right onto North Hill Street

0.3 mi · 40 sec · North Hill Street
Use the straight lane.
5

Take the ramp

431 ft · 6 sec
Toward CA 110 North
6

Merge onto CA 110; US 6 Hist; US 66 Hist

0.8 mi · 1 min · Arroyo Seco Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit onto US 6 Hist

0.3 mi · 38 sec · US 6 Hist
Toward I 5 North Use the left / straight lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 57 sec
Toward I 5 North
9

Merge onto I 5

4.5 mi · 5 min · Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 43 sec
Exit 142 Toward Colorado Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on Colorado Street Freeway Extension

0.6 mi · 37 sec · Colorado Street Freeway Extension
Toward Colorado Street, South Pacific Avenue, San Fernando Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Turn slight right onto West Colorado Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Colorado Street
Use the right lane.
13

Turn right onto South Brand Boulevard

31 ft · 1 sec · South Brand Boulevard
14

Arrive at destination

South Brand Boulevard

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 7.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1 mi into trip | ~2m in | West College Street

Turn left onto West College Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in | North Hill Street

Turn right onto North Hill Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | CA 110; US 6 Hist; US 66 Hist / Arroyo Seco Parkway

Merge onto CA 110; US 6 Hist; US 66 Hist / Arroyo Seco Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
2.3 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 6 Hist

Take the exit onto US 6 Hist toward I 5 North

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes. Toward I 5 North
7
7.5 mi into trip | ~11m in

Take the exit toward Colorado Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 142 Toward Colorado Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.07 one way

$4.14 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $2.13 $4.26
premium $6.18 $2.19 $4.38
diesel $5.61 $1.99 $3.97

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.7 0 $0.94 $0.43
Efficient EV 2.3 0 $0.79 $0.36
EV Truck/SUV 3.6 0 $1.26 $0.58

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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.

Forecast as of Apr 19, 2026

Origin

Los Angeles, CA

Morning in Los Angeles on Tuesday

Local time

9:58 AM

PDT

Current temp

55°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Glendale, CA

Morning in Glendale on Tuesday

Local time

9:58 AM

PDT

Current temp

54°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

1 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

14m 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?

This route is 69% highway, meaning you'll spend most of your time on the Golden State Freeway. The longest continuous stretch on this freeway is 4.5 miles. You'll transition to surface streets like North Broadway and Arroyo Seco Parkway as you approach Glendale. Expect a good amount of merging and exiting traffic characteristic of an urban freeway environment.

69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.5 mi on Golden State Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Golden State Freeway and North Broadway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near West College Street.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (West College Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (North Hill Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles (CA 110; US 6 Hist; US 66 Hist / Arroyo Seco Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Los Angeles, CA

Full guide →

“Tinseltown” · Founded 1781

Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have quipped, "Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles," a quote that has since been repeated both by those who love and hate L.A. The "City of Angels" is home to people who hail from all parts of the globe and an important center of culture, business, media, and international trade. However, it's most famous for being a major center of the world's television, motion picture, and music industry, which forms the base of the city's status and lures visitors for its show business history and celebrity culture. Visitors are also drawn to Los Angeles for its Mediterranean climate and numerous beaches, which gave birth to California's famed surf culture.

Top landmarks

  • Hollywood Walk of Fame — more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks...
  • Hollywood Sign — sign reading "HOLLYWOOD" located in Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Getty Center — campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust in Los Angeles

Arriving in Glendale, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1884

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

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 14m. Total distance: 9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

14m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 4.5 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 Glendale, 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 miles (West College Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (North Hill Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles (CA 110; US 6 Hist; US 66 Hist / Arroyo Seco Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Glendale, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Return Trip

Glendale, CA to Los Angeles, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

9.2 mi 14m

Explore more options from Los Angeles, CA or browse trips ending in Glendale, CA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.