Origin
Santa Ana, CA
Late night in Santa Ana on Sunday
Local time
4:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Ana, CA to East San Gabriel, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
32.7 mi
53 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 42m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
East San Gabriel, CA
Abhishek Navlakha
Trip Overview
This 32.7-mile drive from Santa Ana, CA to East San Gabriel, CA is a quick, one-day trip that should take around 45 minutes, making it perfect for a short excursion or commute. You'll primarily be on the Santa Ana Freeway and Rosemead Boulevard, with a portion on the San Gabriel River Freeway, indicating a largely highway-focused experience. With an estimated fuel cost of $8, this route is quite budget-friendly for a single day's travel. The drive is entirely within the Pacific Coast region, so you won't be crossing major geographical divides. It's a straightforward journey, ideal for those looking for efficiency rather than extensive sightseeing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 17.5 mi | 20m |
| Rosemead Boulevard | 5.5 mi | 9m |
| San Gabriel River Freeway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| North Broadway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Beverly Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Mission Drive | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Mission Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Santa Clara Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 17.5 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Ana, CA and East San Gabriel, CA.
1
Start on West 1st Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
West 1st Street
2
Turn right onto North Broadway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn right onto West Santa Clara Avenue
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
West Santa Clara Avenue
4
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
this road
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 5
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
8.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 605 South, I 605 North: San Gabriel River Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 605 North
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Merge onto I 605
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
San Gabriel River Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 16
Toward Beverly Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Pioneer Boulevard
202 ft
·
4 sec
·
Pioneer Boulevard
12
Turn right onto Beverly Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Beverly Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto CA 19
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Rosemead Boulevard
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto Mission Drive
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Mission Drive
15
Continue on Mission Road
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Mission Road
16
Turn right onto South San Gabriel Boulevard
222 ft
·
10 sec
·
South San Gabriel Boulevard
17
Turn left
66 ft
·
5 sec
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right
50 ft
·
3 sec
19
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 32.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.4 miles from Santa Ana, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 24.6 — 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
|
North Broadway
Turn right onto North Broadway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
11 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
19.5 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward I 605 South, I 605 North: San Gabriel River Freeway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 605 South, I 605 North: San Gabriel Ri...
8
19.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 605 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 605 North
7
24.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward Beverly Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16
Toward Beverly Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.52 one way
$15.03 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.75 | $15.49 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.95 | $15.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.22 | $14.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.43 | $1.57 |
| Efficient EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.58 | $2.09 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
East San Gabriel, CA
Late night in East San Gabriel on Sunday
Local time
4:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°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
45m 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 drive for about 67% of this 32.7-mile journey. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 17.5 miles on the Santa Ana Freeway, offering a consistent pace. The primary roads, including the Santa Ana Freeway, Rosemead Boulevard, and San Gabriel River Freeway, suggest a predominantly urban and suburban driving environment. While not explicitly scenic, the continuous freeway segments allow for a steady progress toward your destination. The character of the drive is defined by its directness and reliance on major arterial roads.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.5 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Rosemead Boulevard. 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 North Broadway.
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 16 decision points packed into just 32.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Santa Ana, CA
Full guide →Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, Southern California and is the county seat of that county.
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 45m. Total distance: 32.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.5 miles on Santa Ana 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 East San Gabriel, 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 (North Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at East San Gabriel, 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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