Origin
San Jacinto, CA
Late night in San Jacinto on Tuesday
Local time
2:08 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Jacinto, CA to Riverside, 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
47m
Distance
34.2 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Jacinto, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
San Jacinto to Riverside is 34.2 miles and takes about 47m via Gilman Springs Road and the Moreno Valley Freeway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route connects two points within California's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward drive. You'll be traveling primarily on major freeways for a significant portion of the journey. It's a relatively short trip, making it ideal for a quick transfer or a day trip, with no overnight stay recommended.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Gilman Springs Road | 10.8 mi | 15m |
| Moreno Valley Freeway | 9.7 mi | 11m |
| Escondido Freeway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| Ramona Expressway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Riverside Freeway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Sanderson Avenue | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Ramona Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| Central Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Gilman Springs Road
— 10.8 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Jacinto, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on East Main Street
80 ft
·
4 sec
·
East Main Street
2
Turn slight right onto Ramona Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Ramona Boulevard
3
Turn right onto North State Street
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
North State Street
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left onto Ramona Expressway
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Ramona Expressway
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto CA 79
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Sanderson Avenue
6
Take the exit onto Gilman Springs Road
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
Gilman Springs Road
7
Continue on Gilman Springs Road
9.8 mi
·
13 min
·
Gilman Springs Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Take the ramp onto Gilman Springs Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Gilman Springs Road
9
Merge onto CA 60
9.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Moreno Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 215; CA 60
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Escondido Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
1.5 mi
·
3 min
Exit 34B
Toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto CA 91
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 62
Toward Central Avenue, Riverside Plaza Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto Central Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn slight left
171 ft
·
12 sec
Use the left lane.
16
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.1 miles from San Jacinto, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 33.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North State Street
Turn right onto North State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
15.9 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
CA 60 / Moreno Valley Freeway
Merge onto CA 60 / Moreno Valley Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
25.6 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
I 215; CA 60 / Escondido Freeway
Merge onto I 215; CA 60 / Escondido Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
29.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
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 34B
Toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
8
33.3 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward Central Avenue, Riverside Plaza Avenue
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 62
Toward Central Avenue, Riverside Plaza Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.86 one way
$15.72 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.10 | $16.20 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.32 | $16.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.55 | $15.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.59 | $1.64 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $2.99 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.79 | $2.19 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Riverside, CA
Late night in Riverside on Tuesday
Local time
2:08 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
2 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
47m 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 is a mixed drive, with 54% of the route on highways. You'll experience stretches on Gilman Springs Road, including a continuous 10.8-mile segment, before transitioning to the Moreno Valley Freeway and then the Escondido Freeway. Expect a blend of faster-paced highway travel and potentially more local road conditions as you navigate between these main arteries. The road character shifts as you move from the initial rural feel to more developed freeway environments.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on Gilman Springs Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near North State Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 34.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (North State Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.9 miles (CA 60 / Moreno Valley Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.6 miles (I 215; CA 60 / Escondido Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 San Jacinto, CA to Riverside, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Beach Cities along the way.
Beach Cities
29.6 mi in
|
~39m
About the Cities
Arriving 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 47m. Total distance: 34.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on Gilman Springs Road. 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 Riverside, 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 miles (North State Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.9 miles (CA 60 / Moreno Valley Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.6 miles (I 215; CA 60 / Escondido Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Riverside, 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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