Origin
Palmdale, CA
Late night in Palmdale on Tuesday
Local time
3:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palmdale, CA to Russ, 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
31m
Distance
20.6 mi
33 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
7 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palmdale, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Russ, CA
Спиридон Варфаламеев
Trip Overview
Palmdale, CA to Russ, CA is 20.6 miles and takes about 31 minutes via Soledad Canyon Road, Sierra Highway, and Antelope Valley Freeway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive connects two points within the Pacific Coast region of California. Expect a local feel with frequent turns, making it more of a local transit than a long-haul journey. Given its brief duration, this trip is ideal for a quick errand or a transition between nearby areas without requiring an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Soledad Canyon Road | 10.4 mi | 18m |
| Sierra Highway | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Antelope Valley Freeway | 3.2 mi | 3m |
| Santiago Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Palmdale Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Soledad Canyon Road
— 10.4 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palmdale, CA and Russ, CA.
1
Start on CA 138
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
East Palmdale Boulevard
2
Continue on CA 138
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
East Palmdale Boulevard
3
Turn left onto US 6 Hist
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Sierra Highway
4
At end of road, turn right onto US 6 Hist
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Sierra Highway
Use the right lane.
5
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward CA 14 South: Los Angeles
6
Merge onto CA 14
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Antelope Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 26
Toward Santiago Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn left onto Santiago Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Santiago Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto Soledad Canyon Road
10 mi
·
18 min
·
Soledad Canyon Road
10
Arrive at destination
Soledad Canyon Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 4.5 and 9.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
4.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 6 Hist / Sierra Highway
At end of road, turn right onto US 6 Hist / Sierra Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
5.5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward CA 14 South: Los Angeles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward CA 14 South: Los Angeles
5
6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
CA 14 / Antelope Valley Freeway
Merge onto CA 14 / Antelope Valley Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
9.2 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward Santiago Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 26
Toward Santiago Road
6
9.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Santiago Road
Turn left onto Santiago Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.73 one way
$9.47 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.88 | $9.76 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.01 | $10.02 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.55 | $9.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 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 | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
| Efficient EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.80 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.88 | $1.32 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Russ, CA
Late night in Russ on Tuesday
Local time
3:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
64°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
31m 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 characterized as a 'Turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll encounter numerous intersections and changes in direction. While 16% of the drive utilizes highway sections, the majority involves navigating local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 10.4 miles along Soledad Canyon Road. As you progress, the road will likely shift between faster-paced highway segments and more stop-and-go local street driving, requiring your attention to be on navigating turns rather than simply cruising.
Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.4 mi on Soledad Canyon Road.
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 around 4.5 miles in near US 6 Hist / Sierra Highway.
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 31m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles (US 6 Hist / Sierra Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 6 miles (CA 14 / Antelope Valley Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Palmdale, CA
Full guide →Founded 1886
Palmdale is a city in the far north of Los Angeles County in the Antelope Valley region of the Mojave Desert in Southern California.
Top landmarks
- • Joe Davies Heritage Airpark — aviation museum in Palmdale, California, United States
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 31m. Total distance: 20.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (16%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.4 miles on Soledad Canyon Road. 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: at 4.5 miles (US 6 Hist / Sierra Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 6 miles (CA 14 / Antelope Valley Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Russ, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Russ, CA
More trips to Russ, CA
Explore more options from Palmdale, CA or browse trips ending in Russ, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.