Anaheim to North Hills is 50.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 2 minutes via the Golden State Freeway, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays entirely within California, connecting the Pacific Coast regions of Anaheim and North Hills. It's a straightforward, highway-focused journey, making it an easy one-day trip. You'll spend most of your time on major freeways, so expect consistent travel conditions. This route is ideal for those prioritizing directness and efficiency in their travel.
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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 2m. Total distance: 50.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a highway-focused drive, with 91% of the route utilizing major freeways like the Golden State Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway, and San Diego Freeway. You'll encounter a longest continuous stretch of 22.9 miles on the Golden State Freeway. The character of the drive is predominantly fast-paced freeway travel, offering a consistent experience for much of the journey. Expect to maintain highway speeds for the majority of your trip, with limited transitions to surface streets.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Golden State Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 22.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Golden State Freeway and Santa Ana Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.6 miles in near I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway.
Driving Effort10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.5 miles you will encounter 14 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 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 45.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
4.6 mi into trip|~7m 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.
6
22.6 mi into trip|~28m in|I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
45.5 mi into trip|~55m in
Take the exit toward CA 118 West, CA 118 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 156A
Toward CA 118 West, CA 118 East
6
47 mi into trip|~57m in
Take the exit toward I 405 South: Santa Monica
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 405 South: Santa Monica
7
49.6 mi into trip|~1h in
Take the exit toward Nordhoff Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 69
Toward Nordhoff Street
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Golden State Freeway
22.9 mi
27m
Santa Ana Freeway
21.3 mi
24m
San Diego Freeway
1.5 mi
1m
West Lincoln Avenue
1 mi
2m
Nordhoff Street
0.7 mi
1m
Ronald Reagan Freeway
0.5 mi
<1m
South Anaheim Boulevard
<0.1 mi
<1m
Woodley Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Golden State Freeway
— 22.9 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Anaheim, CA and North Hills, CA.
1
Start on this road
200 ft·16 sec·this road
2
Turn left onto South Anaheim Boulevard
422 ft·21 sec·South Anaheim Boulevard
3
Turn left onto West Lincoln Avenue
1.0 mi·2 min·West Lincoln Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn left
0.2 mi·14 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
5
Merge onto I 5
3.3 mi·3 min·Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
18 mi·20 min·Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
23 mi·27 min·Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi·9 sec
Exit 156AToward CA 118 West, CA 118 EastUse the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi·58 sec
Toward CA 118 West
10
Merge onto CA 118
0.5 mi·32 sec·Ronald Reagan Freeway
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi·7 sec
Toward I 405 South: Santa MonicaUse the slight right lane.
12
Continue on this road
1.0 mi·1 min·this road
Exit 42BToward I 405 South: Santa Monica
13
Merge onto I 405
1.5 mi·1 min·San Diego Freeway
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi·25 sec
Exit 69Toward Nordhoff StreetUse the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn right onto Nordhoff Street
0.7 mi·1 min·Nordhoff Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Woodley Avenue
273 ft·5 sec·Woodley Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Woodley Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 25.2 mi from Anaheim, CA
· 31m into the drive
The midpoint is around 25.2 miles from Anaheim, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in North Hills, CA
The final approach into North Hills, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.61 one way
$23.21 round trip
$5.84/gal25.4 MPG avg18 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$6.02
$11.96
$23.92
premium
$6.18
$12.28
$24.56
diesel
$5.61
$11.15
$22.30
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 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
15.1
0
$5.30
$2.42
Efficient EV
12.6
0
$4.42
$2.02
EV Truck/SUV
20.2
0
$7.07
$3.23
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026
Origin
Anaheim, CA
Evening
in Anaheim on Friday
Local time
6:44 PM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Partly Sunny
SW 0 to 10 mph0% chanceLive 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
Destination
North Hills, CA
Evening
in North Hills on Friday
Local time
6:44 PM
PDT
Current temp
75°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
1 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 2m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Anaheim, CA to North Hills, CA covers 50.5 miles and takes about 1h 2m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Golden State Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway, San Diego Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 25.2 miles from Anaheim, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.61 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.5 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 45.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Anaheim, CA to North Hills, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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.
