Origin
Buena Park, CA
Afternoon in Buena Park on Friday
Local time
1:49 PM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buena Park, CA to Los Angeles, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
20.5 mi
33 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buena Park, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
Buena Park, CA to Los Angeles, CA is 20.5 miles and takes about 25m via Santa Ana Freeway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, direct trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, connecting two points in California. It's primarily a highway-focused drive, making it a straightforward option for getting from point A to point B without much fuss. Consider this route if you need a quick and efficient way to travel between these Southern California locations.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 20.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route is almost entirely highway, with a 95% highway share, designed for efficient travel. You'll spend most of your time on the Santa Ana Freeway, which forms the longest uninterrupted stretch of 19.4 miles. The drive is characterized by its consistent, fast-paced highway profile, minimizing time spent on local streets. Expect a straightforward experience focused on covering distance quickly, with minimal transitions between different road types.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 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 19.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and North Los Angeles Street. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Auto Center Drive.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 20.5 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start (Auto Center Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Auto Center Drive
Turn left onto Auto Center Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m 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
16.8 mi into trip
|
~19m 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.
8
19.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Alameda Street, Union Station
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 2B
Toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 19.4 mi | 23m |
| North Los Angeles Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Arcadia Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Auto Center Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Beach Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 19.4 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buena Park, CA and Los Angeles, CA.
1
Start on CA 39
14 ft
·
1 sec
·
Beach Boulevard
2
Turn left onto Auto Center Drive
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Auto Center Drive
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
4
Merge onto I 5
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 2B
Toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Use the slight right lane.
7
Continue on I 10 EXPR
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
East Arcadia Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Turn left onto North Los Angeles Street
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
North Los Angeles Street
9
Turn right onto East 1st Street
461 ft
·
17 sec
·
East 1st Street
10
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.71 one way
$9.42 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.86 | $9.71 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.99 | $9.97 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.53 | $9.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.15 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.79 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Los Angeles, CA
Afternoon in Los Angeles on Friday
Local time
1:49 PM
PDT
Current temp
54°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
20 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
25m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Buena Park, CA to Los Angeles, CA covers 20.5 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Santa Ana Freeway, North Los Angeles Street, East Arcadia Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.2 miles from Buena Park, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.71 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 20.5 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start (Auto Center Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Buena Park, CA to Los Angeles, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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