Origin
Los Angeles, CA
Late night in Los Angeles on Tuesday
Local time
3:42 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Los Angeles, CA to Westwood, 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
21m
Distance
13.2 mi
21 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Westwood, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
Los Angeles to Westwood is 13.2 miles and takes about 21 minutes via Santa Monica Freeway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Pacific Coast region, making it a quick hop between two points in California. You'll primarily be on freeway, so expect a straightforward journey. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a same-day trip, allowing plenty of time for your destination activities. It's a practical choice for getting from one part of the sprawling LA area to another without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica Freeway | 8 mi | 9m |
| Overland Avenue | 1.6 mi | 4m |
| Harbor Freeway | 1 mi | 1m |
| West 3rd Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Santa Monica Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Spring Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Westholme Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Monica Freeway
— 8 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Los Angeles, CA and Westwood, CA.
1
Start on West 1st Street
354 ft
·
19 sec
·
West 1st Street
2
Turn left onto South Spring Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
South Spring Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto West 3rd Street
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
West 3rd Street
4
Take the ramp
104 ft
·
2 sec
Toward CA 110 South, CA 110 North: Harbor Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward CA 110 South: Harbor Freeway
6
Merge onto CA 110
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Harbor Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 10: Santa Monica Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 10 West: Washington Boulevard
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward I 10 West: Santa Monica
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 10
8.0 mi
·
9 min
·
Santa Monica Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 4
Toward Overland Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto Overland Avenue
1.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Overland Avenue
Use the right lane.
13
Turn right onto US 66 Hist
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Santa Monica Boulevard
14
Turn left onto Westholme Avenue
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
Westholme Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto Kinnard Avenue
165 ft
·
7 sec
·
Kinnard Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
Kinnard Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 13 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Spring Street
Turn left onto South Spring Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward CA 110 South, CA 110 North: Harbor Freeway
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 110 South, CA 110 North: Harbor Freew...
8
2.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 West: Santa Monica
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 10 West: Santa Monica
7
10.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward Overland Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 4
Toward Overland Avenue
7
13 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Westholme Avenue
Turn left onto Westholme Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.03 one way
$6.07 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.13 | $6.25 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.21 | $6.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.91 | $5.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $0.63 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.84 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Westwood, CA
Late night in Westwood on Tuesday
Local time
3:42 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°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
13 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
21m 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 heavily focused on highway driving, with 68% of the journey on freeways like the Santa Monica Freeway and Harbor Freeway. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 8 miles on the Santa Monica Freeway, offering a consistent pace. The drive is characterized by its efficiency, moving you quickly through the urban landscape. While largely highway-focused, there will be transitions onto local roads like Overland Avenue, providing a slight change in scenery before you reach your destination.
68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on Santa Monica Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Monica Freeway and Overland Avenue. 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.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 14 decision points packed into just 13.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
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 2.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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
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 21m. Total distance: 13.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8 miles on Santa Monica 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 Westwood, 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 0.1 miles (South Spring Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Westwood, 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.
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