Origin
Rialto, CA
Late night in Rialto on Tuesday
Local time
4:45 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rialto, CA to Santa Ana, 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
1h 2m
Distance
48.6 mi
78 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rialto, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rialto to Santa Ana is 48.6 miles and takes about 1h 2m via CA 91, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Pacific Coast region, traversing California's bustling Inland Empire and Orange County. You'll primarily be on major freeways, making it a straightforward, though potentially busy, transit. With a fuel cost under $15 and a short drive time, this route is ideal for a single-day trip when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 91 | 16.7 mi | 19m |
| Riverside Freeway | 14 mi | 16m |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | 6.9 mi | 7m |
| North Riverside Avenue | 6.1 mi | 10m |
| Main Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| East 1st Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East 4th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Mabury Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 91
— 16.7 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rialto, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on North Riverside Avenue
140 ft
·
31 sec
·
North Riverside Avenue
2
Continue on North Riverside Avenue
6.1 mi
·
9 min
·
North Riverside Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
3
Continue on Main Street
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward CA 60 East: Indio
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto CA 60
168 ft
·
2 sec
·
Pomona Freeway
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 53A
Toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto CA 91
14 mi
·
16 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on CA 91
17 mi
·
19 min
·
CA 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55
6.9 mi
·
7 min
·
Costa Mesa Freeway
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 11B
Toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto East 4th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 4th Street
13
Turn left onto Mabury Street
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Mabury Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto East 1st Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East 1st Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
15
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.3 miles from Rialto, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 7.7 and 46.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
7.7 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the ramp toward CA 60 East: Indio
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward CA 60 East: Indio
8
8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
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 53A
Toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
7
22.3 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward Main Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
8
39.3 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
8
46.1 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
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 11B
Toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.17 one way
$22.34 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.51 | $23.02 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.82 | $23.64 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.73 | $21.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 17 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
| Efficient EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.25 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.80 | $3.11 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Santa Ana, CA
Late night in Santa Ana on Tuesday
Local time
4:45 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°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
15 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
1h 2m 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 77% of the 48.6 miles on freeways like the CA 91 and Costa Mesa Freeway. You'll experience a significant stretch of uninterrupted driving, with 16.7 miles on the CA 91 being the longest continuous freeway segment. Expect numerous exits and entrances as you navigate through urban and suburban areas, merging with traffic frequently. The remaining portion will transition to surface streets as you approach your destination.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.7 mi on CA 91.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 91 and Riverside Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.6 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
On the drive from Rialto, CA to Santa Ana, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Beach Cities along the way.
Beach Cities
8 mi in
|
~13m
About the Cities
Starting in Rialto, CA
Full guide →Founded 1911
Rialto is a small city of about 100,000 people outside Los Angeles in San Bernardino County, California.
Arriving in Santa Ana, CA
Full guide →Founded 1869
Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, Southern California and is the county seat of that county.
Top landmarks
- • Yost Theater — historic movie theater and hotel building in Santa Ana, California, later used b...
- • Santa Ana Fire Station Headquarters No. 1 — fire station in Santa Ana, United States of America
- • Rankin's — historic building in Santa Ana, 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 1h 2m. Total distance: 48.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.7 miles on CA 91. 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 Santa Ana, 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 7.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Santa Ana, 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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