Origin
San Bernardino, CA
Late night in San Bernardino on Tuesday
Local time
2:04 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Bernardino, CA to San Clemente, 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 24m
Distance
71.1 mi
114 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$16
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Clemente, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
San Bernardino to San Clemente is 71.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 24 minutes via Riverside Freeway and San Diego Freeway, with a fuel budget near $16 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within California, connecting two Pacific Coast locales. The drive is mostly highway, making it a straightforward trip for getting from point A to point B. With only one recommended day, it’s a quick excursion that shouldn't require an overnight stay. Expect a relatively quick transit between these Southern California cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Freeway | 20.1 mi | 23m |
| San Diego Freeway | 18.1 mi | 20m |
| CA 91 | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| Eastern Transportation Corridor | 8.6 mi | 9m |
| Foothill Transportation Corridor | 5.3 mi | 6m |
| San Bernardino Freeway | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 1.6 mi | 1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Riverside Freeway
— 20.1 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Bernardino, CA and San Clemente, CA.
1
Start on West 5th Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 5th Street
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 215 South: Riverside
Use the left lane.
3
Merge onto I 215
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Continue on I 215
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on CA 91
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Exit 34B
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on CA 91
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
CA 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
1.2 mi
·
1 min
Exit 41B
Toward CA 241 South: Irvine
Use the slight right lane.
9
Continue on CA 241 Toll
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Eastern Transportation Corridor
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 241 Toll
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Foothill Transportation Corridor
11
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 27
Toward CA 133 Toll
12
Continue on CA 133 Toll
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Eastern Transportation Corridor
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 10A
Toward I 5 South: San Diego
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 5
0.8 mi
·
56 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
0.8 mi
·
55 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto I 5
18 mi
·
20 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 75
Toward Avenida Palizada
Use the slight right lane.
18
Turn right onto East Avenida Palizada
418 ft
·
17 sec
·
East Avenida Palizada
Use the right lane.
19
Turn left onto North El Camino Real
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
North El Camino Real
Use the left lane.
20
Arrive at destination
South El Camino Real
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 35.5 miles from San Bernardino, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 70.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 215 South: Riverside
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 215 South: Riverside
7
24.2 mi into trip
|
~29m 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
7
33.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward CA 241 South: Irvine
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 41B
Toward CA 241 South: Irvine
7
49.8 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward I 5 South: San Diego
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 10A
Toward I 5 South: San Diego
7
70.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 22m in
Take the exit toward Avenida Palizada
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 75
Toward Avenida Palizada
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.34 one way
$32.68 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $16.84 | $33.68 |
| premium | $6.18 | $17.29 | $34.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.70 | $31.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$16
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.3 | 0 | $7.47 | $3.41 |
| Efficient EV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.22 | $2.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.4 | 0 | $9.95 | $4.55 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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 Clemente, CA
Late night in San Clemente on Tuesday
Local time
2:04 AM
PDT
Current temp
53°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
18 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 24m 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 trip is primarily a highway drive, with 73% of the route on freeways. You'll encounter the longest continuous stretch of highway on the Riverside Freeway for 20.1 miles. The remainder of the drive will transition to surface roads, likely with more frequent intersections and traffic lights as you approach your destination. Expect to navigate urban merging and dense exits for a significant portion of your time behind the wheel.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.1 mi on Riverside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and San Diego Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 71.1 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,051 ft
103 ft
Total Climb
556 ft
Total Descent
1,384 ft
Highest Point
1,051 ft
Elevation Range
948 ft
About the Cities
Starting 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
Arriving in San Clemente, CA
Full guide →San Clemente is a city by the beach in Orange County in Southern California. It is called the "little Spanish village by the sea" because many of the buildings have a rustic and antique Spanish look to them. People from San Clemente pride themselves on the laid-back and closely knit community traditions that are practiced in this small town. Not only does the culture have a great influence on all the people who live there, but anyone who visits is also sure to experience this feeling as well.
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 24m. Total distance: 71.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.1 miles on Riverside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Clemente, 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 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.6 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 San Clemente, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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