Origin
Sunland, CA
Late night in Sunland on Tuesday
Local time
2:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sunland, CA to Anaheim, 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
1h
Distance
44.3 mi
71 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sunland, CA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
This 44.3-mile drive from Sunland, CA to Anaheim, CA is a straightforward trip, easily completed in about 1 hour. Designed as a single-day adventure, the route primarily utilizes major freeways, making it a convenient option for a quick journey within the Pacific Coast region. With an estimated fuel cost of $10, this drive is quite economical. The majority of this trip is on the highway, offering a direct path between these two California locations. You'll spend most of your time on the Santa Ana Freeway, Glendale Freeway, and Golden State Freeway, experiencing a consistent driving pace.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 20.7 mi | 24m |
| Glendale Freeway | 7 mi | 8m |
| Golden State Freeway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Foothill Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| Foothill Freeway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| West Lincoln Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Lowell Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Mount Gleason Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 20.7 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sunland, CA and Anaheim, CA.
1
Start on Wentworth Street
117 ft
·
10 sec
·
Wentworth Street
2
Turn left onto Mount Gleason Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Mount Gleason Avenue
3
Turn left onto Foothill Boulevard
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Foothill Boulevard
4
Turn right onto Lowell Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 210 East: Pasadena
6
Merge onto I 210
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19
Toward CA 2 South: Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto Hillard Avenue
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
·
Hillard Avenue
Toward CA 2 South
9
Merge onto CA 2
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Glendale Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
Toward I 5: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles, Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 5 South: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Use the slight left lane.
14
Merge onto I 5
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Street, Santa Ana
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
16
Merge onto I 5
21 mi
·
24 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 111
Toward Lincoln Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn left onto West Lincoln Avenue
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
West Lincoln Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto South Anaheim Boulevard
370 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Anaheim Boulevard
20
Turn right
200 ft
·
14 sec
21
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.2 miles from Sunland, 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 185 decision points cluster between mile 6.5 and 20.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
6.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward CA 2 South: Los Angeles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 19
Toward CA 2 South: Los Angeles
7
14.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward I 5: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles, Sacramento
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.
Toward I 5: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles,...
8
14.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 South: Golden State Freeway, Los Ang...
7
15.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
8
20.5 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Street, Santa Ana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Stre...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.18 one way
$20.36 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.49 | $20.98 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.77 | $21.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.78 | $19.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.65 | $2.13 |
| Efficient EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.88 | $1.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.7 | 0 | $6.20 | $2.84 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Anaheim, CA
Late night in Anaheim on Tuesday
Local time
2:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Partly Sunny
SW 0 to 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 8:38AM PDT until April 16 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 8:38AM PDT until April 16 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka 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
24 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 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-focused experience for 81% of this 44.3-mile journey. The character of the drive is largely defined by its freeway segments, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 20.7 miles on the Santa Ana Freeway. This means you'll maintain a steady speed for significant portions of the trip, with minimal interruptions. The route is designed for efficient travel rather than scenic detours, so the focus is on getting you from point A to point B smoothly and directly.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.7 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Glendale Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.3 miles you will encounter 18 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 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Sunland, CA and Anaheim, CA, road signs point toward Los Angeles, Sacramento and Santa Ana.
Los Angeles
14.6 mi in
|
~22m
Sacramento
14.6 mi in
|
~22m
Santa Ana
20.5 mi in
|
~29m
|
via I 5
About the Cities
Arriving in Anaheim, CA
Full guide →Founded 1857
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. It is best known for being the home of Disneyland. Its second claim to fame is hosting the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks and Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels.
Top landmarks
- • Disneyland — American theme park in California owned by The Walt Disney Company
- • Disney California Adventure — theme park in California, part of Disneyland Resort
- • Soarin' — flight motion simulator attraction at Disney parks
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. Total distance: 44.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.7 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 Anaheim, 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 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. 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 Anaheim, 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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