Origin
Riverside, CA
Late night in Riverside on Tuesday
Local time
2:19 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Riverside, CA to Santa Fe Springs, 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
58m
Distance
47.5 mi
76 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Fe Springs, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Riverside, CA to Santa Fe Springs, CA is 47.5 miles and takes about 58 minutes via the Riverside Freeway and Santa Ana Freeway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused drive entirely within California's Pacific Coast region. Given its short distance and duration, this trip is best suited for a single-day journey, making it an easy option for commuting or a quick errand. You'll spend most of your time on well-traveled freeways, so expect typical traffic patterns for Southern California.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Freeway | 19.6 mi | 22m |
| CA 91 | 16.7 mi | 19m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 6.2 mi | 7m |
| Pioneer Boulevard | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Central Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Adoree Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Telegraph Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Imperial Highway | 0.1 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 Santa Fe Springs, 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
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Imperial Highway
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Turn right onto Pioneer Boulevard
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Pioneer Boulevard
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto Telegraph Road
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Telegraph Road
Use the left lane.
15
Arrive at destination
Telegraph Road
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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.8 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 11.6 and 45.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
6
45.3 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
Pioneer Boulevard
Turn right onto Pioneer Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.92 one way
$21.84 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.25 | $22.50 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.55 | $23.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.49 | $20.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.6 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 | 14.3 | 0 | $4.99 | $2.28 |
| Efficient EV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.16 | $1.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19 | 0 | $6.65 | $3.04 |
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 Fe Springs, CA
Late night in Santa Fe Springs on Tuesday
Local time
2:19 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°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
14 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
58m 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 drive, with 89% of it utilizing major freeways. You'll experience an 19.6-mile stretch on the Riverside Freeway, offering a consistent, high-speed experience for a significant portion of your journey. The character is largely that of a busy urban freeway, designed for efficient travel between these Southern California communities. Expect to navigate multiple lanes and standard freeway conditions as you make your way west.
89% 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: 19.6 mi on Riverside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 11.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 47.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: 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; at 37.4 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 Riverside, CA to Santa Fe Springs, 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
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 58m. Total distance: 47.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). 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 Santa Fe Springs, 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 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; at 37.4 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 Fe Springs, 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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