Origin
Ontario, CA
Late night in Ontario on Tuesday
Local time
2:08 AM
PDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ontario, 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
27m
Distance
18.1 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ontario, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Ontario, CA to Riverside, CA is 18.1 miles and takes about 27m via Mission Boulevard, Van Buren Boulevard, and Central Avenue, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip connecting two cities within the Pacific Coast region. Expect a local, turn-heavy drive with no highway segments, making it feel more like navigating through neighborhoods than a long-distance journey. Given its short distance and estimated 27-minute travel time, this route is easily manageable for a quick excursion or a simple point-to-point transfer.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Boulevard | 6.6 mi | 9m |
| Van Buren Boulevard | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| Central Avenue | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| West Mission Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Euclid Avenue | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Holt Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Mission Boulevard
— 6.6 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ontario, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on Holt Boulevard
89 ft
·
7 sec
·
Holt Boulevard
2
Turn left onto Euclid Avenue
0.6 mi
·
56 sec
·
Euclid Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto West Mission Boulevard
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
West Mission Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Continue on Mission Boulevard
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Mission Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Continue on Van Buren Boulevard
6.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Van Buren Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn left onto Central Avenue
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Central Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Turn sharp right
171 ft
·
12 sec
8
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 18.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Euclid Avenue
Turn left onto Euclid Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
West Mission Boulevard
Turn left onto West Mission Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
14.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Central Avenue
Turn left onto Central Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
18.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Turn sharp right
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.16 one way
$8.32 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.29 | $8.57 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.40 | $8.80 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.00 | $7.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.90 | $0.87 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Late night in Riverside on Tuesday
Local time
2:08 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
17 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
27m 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 characterized by its local feel, with a 0% highway share. You'll navigate primarily via Mission Boulevard, Van Buren Boulevard, and Central Avenue, experiencing a route that is consistently turn-heavy. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.6 miles on Mission Boulevard. The road personality remains consistent throughout, offering a steady pace without the interruptions of highway on-ramps or off-ramps, allowing for a more continuous local driving experience.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.6 mi on Mission Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Euclid Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 27m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Euclid Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (West Mission Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles (Central Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Ontario, CA
Full guide →Ontario is in San Bernardino County and the Southern California region, more than 35 miles (50 km) east of Los Angeles. From a traveler's perspective, Ontario is noteworthy mainly as the home of a large mall and the Ontario International Airport, a less crowded alternative to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the main airport serving the Inland Empire.
Top landmarks
- • Frankish Building — building in Ontario, United States of America
- • Ontario State Bank Block — bank building in Ontario, 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 27m. Total distance: 18.1 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 (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.6 miles on Mission Boulevard. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start (Euclid Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (West Mission Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles (Central Avenue): 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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