Origin
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Morning in Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday
Local time
7:24 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rancho Cucamonga, CA to San Bernardino, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
21.4 mi
34 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rancho Cucamonga, CA to San Bernardino, CA is 21.4 miles and takes about 28m via Foothill Freeway, Archibald Avenue, and San Bernardino Freeway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, making it a straightforward hop between two Southern California cities. Expect a mostly highway-focused experience that's perfect for a short errand or a quick connection between areas. Given the minimal distance and short drive time, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Foothill Freeway | 15.1 mi | 17m |
| Archibald Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| San Bernardino Freeway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| West 5th Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Barstow Freeway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Foothill Freeway
— 15.1 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rancho Cucamonga, CA and San Bernardino, CA.
1
Start on this road
136 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn uturn onto Archibald Avenue
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Archibald Avenue
Use the right lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward CA 210 East
4
Merge onto CA 210
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 74
Toward I 215: Barstow, Riverside
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 74
Toward I 215 South: Riverside
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 215
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Barstow Freeway
8
Continue on I 215
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 44A
Toward CA 66 West: 5th Street, Civic Center
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto CA 66
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 5th Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
11
Arrive at destination
West 5th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 20.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Archibald Avenue
Turn uturn onto Archibald Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
17.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward I 215: Barstow, Riverside
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 74
Toward I 215: Barstow, Riverside
8
17.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 215 South: Riverside
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 74
Toward I 215 South: Riverside
8
20.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward CA 66 West: 5th Street, Civic Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 44A
Toward CA 66 West: 5th Street, Civic Center
6
20.7 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
CA 66 / West 5th Street
Turn left onto CA 66 / West 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.92 one way
$9.84 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.07 | $10.14 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.20 | $10.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.72 | $9.45 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 57% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (57% 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
San Bernardino, CA
Morning in San Bernardino on Sunday
Local time
7:24 AM
PDT
Current temp
77°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
3 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
28m 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 predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 80% of the journey utilizing major freeways. You'll spend most of your time on the Foothill Freeway, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch at 15.1 miles. The drive transitions between the Foothill Freeway and Archibald Avenue before merging onto the San Bernardino Freeway. While primarily a freeway experience, the inclusion of Archibald Avenue offers a brief change in pace before you rejoin the faster-paced highway.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.1 mi on Foothill Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Foothill Freeway and Archibald Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Archibald Avenue.
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 8 decision points packed into just 21.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Archibald Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Rancho Cucamonga, CA and San Bernardino, CA, road signs point toward Riverside and Civic Center.
Riverside
17.4 mi in
|
~22m
Civic Center
20.3 mi in
|
~26m
About the Cities
Starting in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Full guide →Rancho Cucamonga is a city in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
Arriving in San Bernardino, CA
Full guide →Founded 1854
San Bernardino is a city in the Inland Empire in California. It is the site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand
Top landmarks
- • San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot — railway station in San Bernardino, the United States of America
- • California Theatre of the Performing Arts — theater and performing arts center in San Bernardino, California
- • San Bernardino County Court House — courthouse in San Bernardino, 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 28m. Total distance: 21.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.1 miles on Foothill 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 San Bernardino, 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: near the start (Archibald Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.7 miles: 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 San Bernardino, 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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