Origin
San Diego, CA
Late night in San Diego on Tuesday
Local time
3:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Diego, CA to Bonita, 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
17m
Distance
11.8 mi
19 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Diego, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Bonita, CA
Beatriz Novaes
Trip Overview
This 11.8-mile drive from San Diego to Bonita, California, is a quick trip that takes about 17 minutes. It's a straightforward journey primarily along the Jacob Dekema Freeway and Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway, with a portion on Bonita Road. Given its short distance and minimal duration, this route is ideal as a single-day trip and doesn't require an overnight stay. The estimated fuel cost is around $3, making it an economical option. Both your origin and destination are within the Pacific Coast region, so you'll be staying within the familiar coastal California landscape throughout your short journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Dekema Freeway | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| Martin Luther King Junior Freeway | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| Bonita Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| West Broadway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Otay Lakes Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 16th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| G Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Allen School Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jacob Dekema Freeway
— 4.9 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Diego, CA and Bonita, CA.
1
Start on Front Street
26 ft
·
6 sec
·
Front Street
2
Turn left onto West Broadway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Broadway
3
Turn right onto 16th Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
16th Street
4
Turn left onto G Street
278 ft
·
9 sec
·
G Street
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on CA 94
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Martin Luther King Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 3
Toward I 805 South
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto I 805
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Jacob Dekema Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 7C
Toward E Street, Bonita Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto S17
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Bonita Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Turn right onto Otay Lakes Road
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Otay Lakes Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto Allen School Lane
76 ft
·
3 sec
·
Allen School Lane
Use the right lane.
12
Arrive at destination
Allen School Lane
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 11.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
G Street
Turn left onto G Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
3.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward I 805 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 3
Toward I 805 South
5
4.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 805 / Jacob Dekema Freeway
Merge onto I 805 / Jacob Dekema Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
9.1 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward E Street, Bonita Road
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 7C
Toward E Street, Bonita Road
7
11.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Allen School Lane
Turn right onto Allen School Lane
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.71 one way
$5.42 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.79 | $5.59 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.87 | $5.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.61 | $5.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.24 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.03 | $0.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.65 | $0.76 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Bonita, CA
Late night in Bonita on Tuesday
Local time
3:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°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
12 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
17m 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?
The character of this drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 61% of the route utilizing freeways. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 4.9 miles on the Jacob Dekema Freeway, suggesting a good portion of the drive will be at highway speeds. While mainly a freeway experience, the transition to Bonita Road will likely offer a change in pace as you approach your destination. Expect a consistent driving environment for the majority of this short commute.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.9 mi on Jacob Dekema Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Jacob Dekema Freeway and Martin Luther King Junior Freeway. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near G Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 11.8 miles you will encounter 9 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 1.1 miles (G Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles (I 805 / Jacob Dekema Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in San Diego, CA
Full guide →Founded 1769
From balmy beaches with a laid-back attitude to a gleaming modern image, San Diego offers much for the tourist to enjoy. Situated on the Southern California seacoast, San Diego is the second largest city in the state, with 1.4 million residents (2020), and has long attracted travelers for its ideal climate, miles of beaches, and location on the Mexican border right across from Tijuana. But there's much more here than surfer culture and a quick hop across the border. A rich maritime and military heritage lives on in San Diego, which is home to the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy. The city has also become known for its part in the wildlife conservation movement, owing to the presence of the world-renowned San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Natural scenery abounds from rocky tidepools and seaside cliffs to desert hills and canyons inland.
Top landmarks
- • Balboa Park — historic park in San Diego, California
- • Cabrillo National Monument — National Monument of the United States and historic district
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 17m. Total distance: 11.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.9 miles on Jacob Dekema 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 Bonita, 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 1.1 miles (G Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles (I 805 / Jacob Dekema Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Cabrillo National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bonita, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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