Origin
Wrightwood, CA
Late night in Wrightwood on Tuesday
Local time
1:45 AM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wrightwood, 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
54m
Distance
42.8 mi
69 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wrightwood, CA
Tori Pezzulla❤️
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to head from the mountain elevation of Wrightwood down to Riverside, you are looking at a 42.8-mile journey that takes about 54 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a one-day trip, meaning there is no need to worry about booking an overnight stay. You should budget approximately $6 for fuel to complete the transit between these two Pacific Coast locations. Because the drive is relatively short and direct, it serves as a straightforward transition between the high-altitude terrain and the city. It is an ideal choice for travelers who prefer a quick, efficient connection rather than a multi-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Barstow Freeway | 9.5 mi | 10m |
| Lone Pine Canyon Road | 9.2 mi | 13m |
| Riverside Freeway | 8.9 mi | 10m |
| Barstow and Mojave Freeway | 6.3 mi | 6m |
| San Bernardino Freeway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| CA 138 | 1 mi | 1m |
| Central Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Angeles Crest Highway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Barstow Freeway
— 9.5 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wrightwood, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on Park Drive
107 ft
·
6 sec
·
Park Drive
2
Turn right onto CA 2
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Angeles Crest Highway
3
Turn right onto Lone Pine Canyon Road
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
Lone Pine Canyon Road
4
Turn left onto Thrush Road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Thrush Road
5
Turn right onto Heath Creek Road
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Heath Creek Road
6
Turn left onto Lone Pine Canyon Road
8.9 mi
·
12 min
·
Lone Pine Canyon Road
7
Turn right onto CA 138
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
CA 138
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
9
Continue on I 15; US 66 Hist
6.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Barstow and Mojave Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 215
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Barstow Freeway
Exit 123
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 215
9.3 mi
·
10 min
·
Barstow Freeway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 215
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 215
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on CA 91
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Exit 34B
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 62
Toward Central Avenue, Riverside Plaza Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Central Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn slight left
171 ft
·
12 sec
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 42.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.4 miles from Wrightwood, 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 0.6 and 42.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Lone Pine Canyon Road
Turn right onto Lone Pine Canyon Road
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Heath Creek Road
Turn right onto Heath Creek Road
Navigation decision point
6
18.1 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
I 215 / Barstow Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 215 / Barstow Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
41.8 mi into trip
|
~52m 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
5
42.1 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
Central Avenue
Turn right onto Central Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.84 one way
$19.67 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.14 | $20.27 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.41 | $20.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.45 | $18.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 15 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 | 12.8 | 0 | $4.49 | $2.05 |
| Efficient EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.74 | $1.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.1 | 0 | $5.99 | $2.74 |
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
Riverside, CA
Late night in Riverside on Tuesday
Local time
1:45 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Clear
SE 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 1:22AM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM 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
2 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
54m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route contains zero highway miles. You will navigate primarily via Angeles Crest Highway, Lone Pine Canyon Road, and Thrush Road to reach your destination. Because the longest uninterrupted stretch on the Angeles Crest Highway is zero miles, you should be prepared for frequent changes in direction and pace. The road's personality is defined by these technical, local segments that demand your full attention behind the wheel. It is a hands-on driving experience that prioritizes local navigation over high-speed highway travel.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.5 mi on Barstow Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Barstow Freeway and Lone Pine Canyon Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Lone Pine Canyon Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
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 42.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Lone Pine Canyon Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (Heath Creek Road): Navigation decision point; at 18.1 miles (I 215 / Barstow Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Wrightwood, CA
Full guide →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 54m. Total distance: 42.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.5 miles on Barstow 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 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 0.6 miles (Lone Pine Canyon Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (Heath Creek Road): Navigation decision point; at 18.1 miles (I 215 / Barstow Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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