Trip from Anaheim, CA to Silver Lake, CA

Q: What are the main roads on this route?

The main roads are Santa Ana Freeway, Hollywood Freeway, West Lincoln Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

Q: Is this a good same-day trip?

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Q: Where should I stop halfway?

The midpoint is about 14.8 miles from Anaheim, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

Q: How much does gas cost for this trip?

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.80 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Q: What is the best time to leave?

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

Q: What towns show up on signs driving from Anaheim, CA to Silver Lake, CA?

The route from Anaheim, CA to Silver Lake, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Q: Are there national parks near the route from Anaheim, CA to Silver Lake, CA?

Yes. Nearby national parks include Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

39m

Distance

29.6 mi

48 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min

4 AM

0h 36m ★

6 AM

0h 39m

8 AM

0h 46m

10 AM

0h 41m

12 PM

0h 41m

3 PM

0h 42m

5 PM

0h 45m

8 PM

0h 37m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Trip Overview

The drive from Anaheim, CA to Silver Lake, CA covers 29.6 miles and takes about 39m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Santa Ana Freeway, Hollywood Freeway, West Lincoln Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.6 miles on Santa Ana Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.80 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 29.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 39m highway drive covering 29.6 miles, with most of the trip on Santa Ana Freeway and Hollywood Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 25.6 miles on Santa Ana Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Santa Ana Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 25.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Hollywood Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in near I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 29.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles (US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5

1.3 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway

Merge onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

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 | US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

7

28.6 mi into trip | ~36m in

Take the exit toward Silver Lake Boulevard

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 5B Toward Silver Lake Boulevard

6

28.7 mi into trip | ~37m in | Silver Lake Boulevard

Turn right onto Silver Lake Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Santa Ana Freeway	25.6 mi	30m
Hollywood Freeway	1.7 mi	2m
West Lincoln Avenue	1 mi	2m
Silver Lake Boulevard	0.9 mi	2m
South Anaheim Boulevard	<0.1 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: Santa Ana Freeway — 25.6 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Anaheim, CA and Silver Lake, 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 left at fork onto US 101

4.3 mi · 6 min · Santa Ana Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

8

Continue on US 101

1.7 mi · 2 min · Hollywood Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 25 sec

Exit 5B Toward Silver Lake Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.

10

Turn right onto Silver Lake Boulevard

0.9 mi · 2 min · Silver Lake Boulevard

Use the right lane.

11

Arrive at destination

Silver Lake Boulevard

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.80 one way

$13.61 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$6.02	$7.01	$14.02
premium	$6.18	$7.20	$14.40
diesel	$5.61	$6.54	$13.07

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	8.9	$3.11	$1.42
Efficient EV	7.4	$2.59	$1.18
EV Truck/SUV	11.8	$4.14	$1.89

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Anaheim, CA

Afternoon in Anaheim on Thursday

Local time

4:13 PM

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

Destination

Silver Lake, CA

Afternoon in Silver Lake on Thursday

Local time

4:13 PM

PDT

Current temp

78°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

4 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

39m 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 Silver Lake, CA covers 29.6 miles and takes about 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Santa Ana Freeway, Hollywood Freeway, West Lincoln Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 14.8 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 $6.80 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 is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 29.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles (US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Anaheim, CA to Silver Lake, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

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