Origin
San Diego, CA
Afternoon in San Diego on Sunday
Local time
2:50 PM
PDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Diego, CA to San Onofre, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 12m
Distance
58.3 mi
94 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Diego, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Onofre, CA
David McElwee
Trip Overview
This straightforward 58.3-mile drive from San Diego to San Onofre, California, will take you about 1 hour and 12 minutes. Primarily using the San Diego Freeway, this trip is perfect as a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. With an estimated fuel cost of $13, it's an economical choice for a short regional hop. The route is almost entirely highway, making for a quick and efficient journey between these two Pacific Coast locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 54.4 mi | 1h 3m |
| Old Pacific Highway | 2.8 mi | 6m |
| 1st Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Basilone Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Broadway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Front Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 54.4 mi, about 1h 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Diego, CA and San Onofre, CA.
1
Start on Front Street
26 ft
·
6 sec
·
Front Street
2
Turn left onto West Broadway
290 ft
·
12 sec
·
West Broadway
3
Turn left onto 1st Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
1st Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Merge onto I 5
13 mi
·
15 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
36 mi
·
43 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
San Diego Freeway
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 71
Toward San Onofre, Basilone Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto Basilone Road
467 ft
·
15 sec
·
Basilone Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
10
Continue on Old Pacific Highway
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Old Pacific Highway
11
Continue on Old Pacific Highway
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Pacific Highway
12
Arrive at destination
Old Pacific Highway
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.2 miles from San Diego, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 55.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
1st Avenue
Turn left onto 1st Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
6
14.3 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 5 / San Diego Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
55.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Take the exit toward San Onofre, Basilone 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 71
Toward San Onofre, Basilone Road
7
55.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
|
Basilone Road
Turn left onto Basilone Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.40 one way
$26.80 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $13.81 | $27.62 |
| premium | $6.18 | $14.18 | $28.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.87 | $25.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.5 | 0 | $6.12 | $2.80 |
| Efficient EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.3 | 0 | $8.16 | $3.73 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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
San Onofre, CA
Afternoon in San Onofre on Sunday
Local time
2:50 PM
PDT
Current temp
66°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
8 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 12m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 58.3-mile trip, with 93% of the drive on freeways. You'll spend the majority of your time on the San Diego Freeway, experiencing a longest uninterrupted stretch of 54.4 miles. While the primary roads include Old Pacific Highway and 1st Avenue, the vast majority of the mileage is on the faster, more direct freeway. This means the character of the drive is largely about covering distance efficiently.
93% 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: 54.4 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and Old Pacific Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 1st Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.3 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.1 miles (1st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.3 miles (I 5 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 1h 12m. Total distance: 58.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 54.4 miles on San Diego 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 San Onofre, 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 0.1 miles (1st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.3 miles (I 5 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 San Onofre, 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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