Origin
Norwalk, CA
Morning in Norwalk on Tuesday
Local time
7:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Norwalk, CA to Riverside, 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
55m
Distance
44.2 mi
71 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Norwalk, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Norwalk, CA to Riverside, CA is 44.2 miles and takes about 55m via Riverside Freeway/Santa Ana Freeway, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, connecting two areas in Southern California. It’s a straightforward drive that primarily utilizes major freeways. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion. You'll find it efficient for moving between these specific Southern California locales.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Freeway | 34.8 mi | 40m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| Rosecrans Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Magnolia Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Madison Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Riverside Freeway
— 34.8 mi, about 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Norwalk, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on Rosecrans Avenue
245 ft
·
9 sec
·
Rosecrans Avenue
2
Continue on Rosecrans Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Rosecrans Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 5
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
5
Take the exit
1.2 mi
·
1 min
Exit 114B
Toward CA 91 East: Riverside
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto CA 91
8.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 91
26 mi
·
30 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 60
Toward Madison Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto Madison Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Madison Street
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto Magnolia Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Magnolia Avenue
11
Turn right
102 ft
·
8 sec
12
At end of road, turn left
181 ft
·
13 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.1 miles from Norwalk, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 42.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
7
6.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward CA 91 East: Riverside
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 114B
Toward CA 91 East: Riverside
6
16 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
CA 91 / Riverside Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 91 / Riverside Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
42.3 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Take the exit toward Madison Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 60
Toward Madison Street
6
42.6 mi into trip
|
~51m in
|
Madison Street
Turn left onto Madison Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.16 one way
$20.32 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.47 | $20.94 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.75 | $21.50 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.76 | $19.52 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.5 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 | 13.3 | 0 | $4.64 | $2.12 |
| Efficient EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.87 | $1.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.7 | 0 | $6.19 | $2.83 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Riverside, CA
Morning in Riverside on Tuesday
Local time
7:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°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
55m 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 drive is mostly highway, with 90% of the 44.2 miles on freeways like the Riverside Freeway and Santa Ana Freeway. You'll experience a long stretch of 34.8 miles on the Riverside Freeway before encountering surface streets. Expect typical freeway conditions with merging traffic and numerous exits as you navigate this urban and suburban corridor.
90% 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: 34.8 mi on Riverside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and Santa Ana Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in.
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 10 decision points packed into just 44.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16 miles (CA 91 / Riverside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Norwalk, CA
Full guide →Founded 1957
Norwalk is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California. It is 17 miles southeast of Downtown Los Angeles.
Top landmarks
- • Darius David Johnston House — historic house and museum in Norwalk, California
Arriving in Riverside, CA
Full guide →Founded 1870
Riverside is a city in Riverside County in California. With a population of over 300,000, the city plays host to a diverse cross-section of people and has a rich history. Riverside is approximately 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. It is a center for higher education, with one community college, a large state university, and two private universities. A hub of regional commerce and transportation, it is a city with an intriguing past and a promising future, and is worth a visit.
Top landmarks
- • Mission Inn — hotel in Riverside, California
- • Universalist Unitarian Church of Riverside — church building in Riverside, California, USA
- • First Congregational Church of Riverside — church building in Riverside, California, United States of America
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 55m. Total distance: 44.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 34.8 miles on Riverside 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 Riverside, 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 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16 miles (CA 91 / Riverside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Riverside, 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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