Origin
Thousand Palms, CA
Late night in Thousand Palms on Tuesday
Local time
3:49 AM
PDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thousand Palms, 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
1h 18m
Distance
65.8 mi
106 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Thousand Palms, CA
Abhishek Navlakha
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Thousand Palms to Riverside is 65.8 miles and takes about 1 hour 18 minutes via Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, and Moreno Valley Freeway, with a fuel budget near $15 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within California's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward journey between two points. You'll be spending most of your time on well-maintained highways, making it a practical option for a quick trip. Consider this route if you need to get from the Thousand Palms area to Riverside efficiently without significant detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway | 19.3 mi | 20m |
| Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway | 17.9 mi | 19m |
| Moreno Valley Freeway | 16.5 mi | 20m |
| Escondido Freeway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| Riverside Freeway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Moreno Valley Expressway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Central Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Monterey Avenue | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
— 19.3 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thousand Palms, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on Arbol Real Avenue
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
·
Arbol Real Avenue
2
Turn left onto Ramon Road
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Ramon Road
3
Turn right onto Monterey Avenue
0.6 mi
·
54 sec
·
Monterey Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I-10: WEST
Use the slight right lane.
5
Merge onto I 10
19 mi
·
20 min
·
Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
Use the right lane.
6
Continue on I 10
18 mi
·
19 min
·
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
Exit 93
Toward CA 60 West: Riverside
Use the slight left lane.
8
Continue on CA 60
0.5 mi
·
33 sec
·
Moreno Valley Freeway
9
Continue on CA 60
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Moreno Valley Expressway
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on CA 60
16 mi
·
20 min
·
Moreno Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 215; CA 60
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Escondido Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
1.5 mi
·
3 min
Exit 34B
Toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto CA 91
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 62
Toward Central Avenue, Riverside Plaza Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn right onto Central Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn slight left
171 ft
·
12 sec
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
33 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.9 miles from Thousand Palms, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 64.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I-10: WEST
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I-10: WEST
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 10 / Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
Merge onto I 10 / Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
38.6 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward CA 60 West: Riverside
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 93
Toward CA 60 West: Riverside
8
61.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m 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
64.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m 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
$15.12 one way
$30.25 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $15.58 | $31.17 |
| premium | $6.18 | $16.00 | $32.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.53 | $29.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 23 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.7 | 0 | $6.91 | $3.16 |
| Efficient EV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.76 | $2.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.3 | 0 | $9.21 | $4.21 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Riverside, CA
Late night in Riverside on Tuesday
Local time
3:49 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
10 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
1h 18m 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 highway-focused drive, with 67% of the route utilizing major freeways. You'll experience stretches of consistent speed, including a notable 19.3-mile segment on the Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway. While primarily a freeway experience, the route transitions between the Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, and Moreno Valley Freeway, which can offer subtle shifts in scenery and traffic patterns. Expect a driving environment that prioritizes direct travel over winding scenic byways.
67% 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: 19.3 mi on Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway and Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in.
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 65.8 miles you will encounter 11 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 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (I 10 / Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Thousand Palms, CA to Riverside, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Beach Cities along the way.
Beach Cities
61.2 mi in
|
~1h 10m
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 1h 18m. Total distance: 65.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m 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 19.3 miles on Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (I 10 / Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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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