Origin
Riverside, CA
Evening in Riverside on Wednesday
Local time
6:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Riverside, CA to Cudahy, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 6m
Distance
52.4 mi
84 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 4m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Cudahy, CA
Zsolt Pujsz
Trip Overview
Riverside to Cudahy is 52.4 miles and takes about 1h 6m via Riverside Freeway/CA 91/Santa Ana Freeway, with a fuel budget near $13 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within California, connecting two points in the Pacific Coast region. It's a straightforward trip primarily on major freeways, making it a practical option for getting between these two areas efficiently. You'll find it’s a fairly direct route that doesn't require significant planning for a single-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Freeway | 19.6 mi | 22m |
| CA 91 | 16.7 mi | 19m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 6.2 mi | 7m |
| Firestone Boulevard | 6 mi | 9m |
| Central Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Imperial Highway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Atlantic Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Adoree Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Riverside Freeway
— 19.6 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Riverside, CA and Cudahy, CA.
1
Start on this road
87 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn slight right onto Central Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward CA 91 West: Beach Cities
4
Merge onto CA 91
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on CA 91
17 mi
·
19 min
·
CA 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 91
8.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 24
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 5
6.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 121
Toward Norwalk Boulevard, Imperial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on Adoree Street
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Adoree Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
12
Turn left onto Imperial Highway
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Imperial Highway
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Turn slight right onto Firestone Boulevard
5.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Firestone Boulevard
Use the right lane.
14
Continue on Firestone Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Firestone Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn right onto Atlantic Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Atlantic Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Arrive at destination
Atlantic Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.2 miles from Riverside, 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 0.9 and 44.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CA 91 / Riverside Freeway
Merge onto CA 91 / Riverside Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
11.6 mi into trip
|
~14m 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
6
28.6 mi into trip
|
~34m 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 slight right lane.
7
37.4 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Take the exit toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 24
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
8
44.4 mi into trip
|
~53m in
Take the exit toward Norwalk Boulevard, Imperial Highway
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 121
Toward Norwalk Boulevard, Imperial Highway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.31 one way
$24.61 round trip
$5.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.18 | $12.75 | $25.51 |
| premium | $6.30 | $12.99 | $25.98 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $11.04 | $22.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.50 | $2.52 |
| Efficient EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.59 | $2.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21 | 0 | $7.34 | $3.35 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Cudahy, CA
Evening in Cudahy on Wednesday
Local time
6:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
61°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
4 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
1h 6m 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 81% highway, meaning you'll spend most of your time on major freeways. The longest continuous stretch on a freeway is 19.6 miles on the Riverside Freeway. Expect frequent on- and off-ramps as you navigate through urban and suburban areas. The transition from freeway to surface streets will likely occur as you approach your final destination in Cudahy.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.6 mi on Riverside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and CA 91. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near CA 91 / Riverside Freeway.
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 52.4 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.9 miles (CA 91 / Riverside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.6 miles (CA 91 / Riverside Freeway): 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.
On the drive from Riverside, CA to Cudahy, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Imperial Highway along the way.
Imperial Highway
44.4 mi in
|
~53m
About the Cities
Starting 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
Arriving in Cudahy, CA
Full guide →Founded 1960
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 6m. Total distance: 52.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.6 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 Cudahy, 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 0.9 miles (CA 91 / Riverside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.6 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 Cudahy, 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
Explore more options from Riverside, CA or browse trips ending in Cudahy, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.