Trip.ovh

Trip from Cincinnati, OH to Los Angeles, CA

Drive Time

31h 49m

Distance

2176.1 mi

Route Type

Long-distance drive

Multi-day drive

Trip Overview

The drive from Cincinnati, OH to Los Angeles, CA covers 2176.1 miles and takes about 31h 49m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 4-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on Calhoun Street, Clifton Avenue, West Martin Luther King Junior Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $317.42 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Best split across 4 days

Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.

Break Rhythm

9 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

1088.1 miles from Cincinnati, OH

A natural place for your longest stop of the day.

Drive Character

At 2176.1 miles and 31h 49m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Calhoun Street and Clifton Avenue.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 71 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Calhoun Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Calhoun Street 0 mi 0m
Clifton Avenue 0 mi 0m
West Martin Luther King Junior Drive 0 mi 0m
Hopple Street 0 mi 0m
I 75 North 0 mi 0m
I 74 West 0 mi 0m
Northwest Expressway 0 mi 0m
Circle Freeway 0 mi 0m
Longest stretch: Calhoun Street — 0 mi, about 0m

Step-by-Step Directions

1

Start on Ohio Avenue

2

At the end of the road, turn left onto Calhoun Street

3

At the end of the road, turn right onto Clifton Avenue

4

Turn left onto West Martin Luther King Junior Drive

5

Turn straight onto Hopple Street

6

Take the ramp right toward I 75 North, I 74 West, US 27 North, US 52 West

7

Continue straight

8

Keep slight left to continue on I 74 West, US 52 West, US 27 North

9

Continue on Northwest Expressway

10

Merge slight right onto Circle Freeway

11

Keep slight left to continue on Northwest Expressway

12

Continue on Southeastern Avenue

13

Continue on Southeastern Avenue

14

Turn slight left onto East Raymond Street

15

Continue on Sam Jones Expressway

16

Take the exit slight right toward I 70 West

17

Merge slight left onto Dwight D Eisenhower Highway

18

Keep slight right to continue on I 70 West: Saint Louis

19

Keep slight left to continue on I 55 South, I 70 West: Saint Louis

20

Keep slight left to continue on I 55 South, I 64, IL 3, US 40 West: Louisville, Saint Louis

21

Merge slight left

22

Keep slight right to continue on IL 3 South: Cahokia

23

Keep slight right to continue on I 44 West, I 55 South, I 44 East: Tulsa, Memphis, Kansas City, Walnut Street

24

Keep slight right

25

Continue on Henry Shaw Ozark Corridor

26

Continue on George Washington Carver Memorial Highway

27

Continue on Will Rogers Turnpike

28

Keep slight right to continue on I 44 West, US 412 West, OK 66 West: Tulsa

29

Keep slight left to continue on Skelly Bypass

30

Keep slight left to continue on Skelly Bypass

31

Continue on Governor Roy Joseph Turner Turnpike

32

Continue on John Kilpatrick Turnpike

33

Take the exit slight right toward I 40 West: Yukon, Amarillo

34

Keep slight left to continue on I 40 West, US 270 West: Amarillo

35

Merge slight left onto Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

36

Continue on Senator Ed Berrong Memorial Highway

37

Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

38

Continue on Great Western Cattle Trail

39

Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

40

Take the exit slight right toward Golden Shores, Oatman

41

Continue straight

42

Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail

43

Continue on Needles Freeway

44

Take the exit slight right toward J Street

45

Merge slight left onto Needles Freeway

46

Merge slight left onto Barstow and Mojave Freeway

47

Continue on CHP Officer Larry L. Wetterling and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Lieutenant Alfred E. Stewart Memorial Highway

48

Continue on Barstow and Mojave Freeway

49

Take the exit slight left

50

Take the exit slight right toward I 10 West: Los Angeles

51

Merge slight left onto San Bernardino Freeway

52

Take the exit slight left

53

Merge slight left onto I-10 Metro ExpressLanes

54

Merge slight right onto San Bernardino Freeway

55

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

56

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

57

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

58

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

59

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

60

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

61

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

62

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

63

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

64

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

65

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

66

Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway

67

Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway

68

Take the exit slight right toward Spring Street

69

Turn right onto North Spring Street

70

Turn left onto West 1st Street

71

Arrive at your destination

When to Leave

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

This drive is better paced as a 4-day trip.
Plan roughly 9 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 1088.1 miles from Cincinnati, OH.

Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.

Drive Plan

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 220 miles

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 1088.1 miles

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Overnight split

Day 1 wrap after about 544 miles

Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.

Final approach

Last hour of driving

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Los Angeles, CA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Cincinnati, OH so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

+

Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.

+

Treat this as a 4-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.

Trip Strategy

Day 1

Settle into the route from Cincinnati, OH

Aim for roughly 544 miles and 8 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Keep the middle miles efficient

Aim for roughly 544 miles and 8 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 3

Keep the middle miles efficient

Aim for roughly 544 miles and 8 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 4

Finish the approach into Los Angeles, CA

Aim for roughly 544 miles and 8 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 220 miles from Cincinnati, OH.
This route usually feels better as a 4-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 9 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

Best Stop Towns on This Route

These towns line up with the pace of this drive and give you clearer places to stop with a purpose.

Late stop town

Coffee and fuel

Cahokia, IL

544 mi into the route

Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch

This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.

Late stop town

Overnight candidate

Wichita Falls, TX

1088 mi into the route

Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start

This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.

Late stop town

Final reset

Flagstaff, AZ

1632 mi into the route

Best for: Food, fuel, and one last short break

This is a smart final reset before the arrival run into Los Angeles, CA.

Suggested Overnight Stops

Night 1

Cahokia, IL

544 mi · about 8h in

A practical overnight split lands near Cahokia, IL after about 544 miles or 8 hours of driving.

Night 2

Wichita Falls, TX

1088 mi · about 15.9h in

A practical overnight split lands near Wichita Falls, TX after about 1088 miles or 15.9 hours of driving.

Night 3

Flagstaff, AZ

1632 mi · about 23.9h in

A practical overnight split lands near Flagstaff, AZ after about 1632 miles or 23.9 hours of driving.

Travel Advice

Arrival Notes

The final approach into Los Angeles, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Los Angeles, CA.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Los Angeles, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.

Stops Along the Way

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 1088.1 mi from Cincinnati, OH

Cahokia, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 220 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Wichita Falls, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 1088.1 miles from Cincinnati, OH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 544 miles or 8 hours on the road.

Final-third reset

Rest stop

Plan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions for the drive, so the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
regular $3.71 $317.42 $634.84
midgrade $4.24 $363.43 $726.85
premium $4.79 $410.37 $820.75
diesel $4.30 $368.74 $737.48

Based on 25.4 MPG average. Estimated CO2 emission: 761.4 kg one way.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Cincinnati, OH to Los Angeles, CA covers 2176.1 miles and takes about 31h 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Calhoun Street, Clifton Avenue, West Martin Luther King Junior Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 4-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 544 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 1088.1 miles from Cincinnati, OH. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $317.42 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 9 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

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