Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
19.7 mi
32 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Torrance, CA
Wikimedia Commons
If you are planning a quick trip from Los Angeles to Torrance, you are looking at a straightforward 19.7-mile drive. Expect to spend about 27 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal one-day excursion that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting approximately $3 for fuel should cover your needs for this short hop within the Pacific Coast region. Because the route relies heavily on major thoroughfares, it is a practical way to navigate between these two California cities. You will find that this trip is efficient and uncomplicated, perfect for when you need to get from the city center to the coast without any fuss.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Harbor Freeway | 14.9 mi | 17m |
| West Torrance Boulevard | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| West 3rd Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| South Spring Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Hamilton Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Maple Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Opal Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Los Angeles, CA and Torrance, CA.
Start on West 1st Street
Turn left onto South Spring Street
Turn right onto West 3rd Street
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto CA 110
Keep slight right at fork onto I 110
Take the exit
Continue on Hamilton Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto West Torrance Boulevard
Turn left onto Maple Avenue
Turn right onto Opal Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 16.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto South Spring Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward CA 110 South, CA 110 North: Harbor Freeway
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 110 South: Harbor Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Keep slight right at fork onto I 110 / Harbor Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Torrance Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.53 one way
$9.06 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.67 | $9.33 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.79 | $9.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.35 | $8.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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 Los Angeles on Tuesday
Local time
5:43 AM
PDT
Current temp
84°F
Sunny
Destination
Late night in Torrance on Tuesday
Local time
5:43 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
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.
This drive is heavily highway-focused, with 76% of your journey spent on high-speed roads. You will spend the bulk of your time on the Harbor Freeway, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 14.9 miles. After transitioning off the freeway, the route shifts into local navigation using West Torrance Boulevard and West 3rd Street. While the freeway portion offers a consistent pace, the final segments provide a change of scenery as you move into the local street grid. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive that prioritizes speed over winding backroads.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Harbor Freeway and West Torrance Boulevard. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Spring Street.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 19.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Spring Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
“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
Torrance is a city in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, in Southern California. Even though it is one of the larger suburbs of Los Angeles (147,000 residents in 2020), it is overlooked by the throngs of tourists that visit LA. Torrance is often called "Japan's 48th Prefecture" due to its large Japanese population, and large Korean and other immigrant populations give the city a very global feel. Visitors wanting a quieter Los Angeles experience will do well to visit Torrance.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 19.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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