Origin
Solana Beach, CA
Evening in Solana Beach on Sunday
Local time
5:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Solana Beach, CA to Chula Vista, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
29.1 mi
47 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Solana Beach, CA
Lindsey Willard
Chula Vista, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 29.1-mile drive from Solana Beach to Chula Vista, California, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 37 minutes. It's a straightforward, highway-focused journey with 83% of the route on major freeways. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal as a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You can expect a fuel cost of around $7 for this drive. The journey primarily takes you along the Jacob Dekema Freeway and San Diego Freeway, offering a practical way to connect these two Pacific Coast communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Dekema Freeway | 18.6 mi | 21m |
| San Diego Freeway | 5 mi | 5m |
| 4th Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Coast Highway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Via de la Valle | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Bay Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Highland Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| F Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jacob Dekema Freeway
— 18.6 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Solana Beach, CA and Chula Vista, CA.
1
Start on this road
289 ft
·
27 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto S8
150 ft
·
4 sec
·
Lomas Santa Fe Drive
3
Turn left onto S21; US 101 Hist
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Coast Highway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto S6
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Via de la Valle
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 5 South: San Diego
6
Merge onto I 5
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 31
8
Continue on I 805
19 mi
·
21 min
·
Jacob Dekema Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 9
Toward CA 54 East, CA 54 West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward CA 54 West
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto CA 54
0.4 mi
·
27 sec
·
South Bay Freeway
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 1D
Toward Highland Avenue, 4th Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn left onto Highland Avenue
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Highland Avenue
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on 4th Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
4th Avenue
15
Turn right onto F Street
322 ft
·
33 sec
·
F Street
16
Continue on F Street
272 ft
·
5 sec
·
F Street
17
Arrive at destination
F Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 27.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
S8 / Lomas Santa Fe Drive
Turn left onto S8 / Lomas Santa Fe Drive
Navigation decision point
8
26.5 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward CA 54 East, CA 54 West
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 9
Toward CA 54 East, CA 54 West
8
26.7 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 54 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CA 54 West
8
27.5 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Highland Avenue, 4th 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 1D
Toward Highland Avenue, 4th Avenue
6
27.7 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
Highland Avenue
Turn left onto Highland Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.69 one way
$13.38 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $6.89 | $13.78 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.08 | $14.15 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.42 | $12.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.07 | $1.86 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Chula Vista, CA
Evening in Chula Vista on Sunday
Local time
5:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
57°F
Mostly Cloudy
S 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 8:09PM PDT until April 17 at 3:00AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 8:09PM PDT until April 17 at 3:00AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
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
7 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
37m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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-centric experience for most of this 37-minute drive. With 83% of the route on freeways, you'll be covering ground efficiently. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 18.6 miles on the Jacob Dekema Freeway, allowing for a consistent pace. You'll navigate primarily using the Jacob Dekema Freeway and San Diego Freeway, with a brief section on 4th Avenue. This profile means you'll spend most of your time in a fast-paced, high-speed environment, typical of Southern California commutes.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.6 mi on Jacob Dekema Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Jacob Dekema 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 0.1 miles in near S8 / Lomas Santa Fe Drive.
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 13 decision points packed into just 29.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (S8 / Lomas Santa Fe Drive): Navigation decision point; at 26.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Solana Beach, CA
Full guide →Solana Beach is a city on the northern coast of San Diego County in Southern California. It is near San Diego. It's a hangout for locals who love to surf, swim, and snorkel. This laid-back town offers a nice variety of galleries, shops, and trendy boutiques if shopping is on the agenda. There aren’t many tourists here, so expect plenty of room to breathe and stretch out.
Arriving in Chula Vista, CA
Full guide →Founded 1911
Chula Vista is a large city in San Diego County in Southern California. It was a farming and dairy city in the early 20th century. By the early 21st century the city had grown tremendously with the addition of several prominent suburbs and business districts. === Understand === Chula Vista Convention & Visitors Bureau website
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 37m. Total distance: 29.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.6 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 Chula Vista, 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 (S8 / Lomas Santa Fe Drive): Navigation decision point; at 26.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.7 miles: 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 Chula Vista, 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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