Origin
Dana Point, CA
Morning in Dana Point on Friday
Local time
8:52 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Dana Point, CA to Riverside, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
54.7 mi
88 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dana Point, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 54.7-mile drive from Dana Point to Riverside, California, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking just about 1 hour and 8 minutes to complete. You'll primarily travel on the Riverside Freeway and San Diego Freeway, with a portion on the Eastern Transportation Corridor, dedicating about 62% of your journey to highway driving. The estimated fuel cost for this route is around $13, making it an economical option for a short excursion. Given its brevity and lack of designated stops in the data, this drive offers flexibility for spontaneous detours or a direct journey. Both your origin and destination are within the Pacific Coast region, so expect a continuation of coastal influences before heading inland.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 8m. Total distance: 54.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience on this route, with approximately 62% of the drive utilizing freeway conditions. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.6 miles on the Riverside Freeway, offering a consistent pace. While the data doesn't detail specific scenic changes, the profile suggests a transition from coastal proximity to more inland landscapes as you progress towards Riverside. This is a route characterized by efficient travel, designed for getting you to your destination with minimal fuss, rather than for leisurely sightseeing along the way.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Riverside Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 18.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and San Diego Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7 miles in near I 5 / San Diego Freeway.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54.7 miles you will encounter 21 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 7 miles (I 5 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 21 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 5 / San Diego Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
14.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward Bake Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Bake Parkway
7
17.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward CA 133 North: Riverside
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 95
Toward CA 133 North: Riverside
8
33.2 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 91 East: Riverside
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 39A
Toward CA 91 East: Riverside
7
52.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward Madison Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 60
Toward Madison Street
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Freeway | 18.6 mi | 21m |
| San Diego Freeway | 11.9 mi | 13m |
| Eastern Transportation Corridor | 8.3 mi | 9m |
| Foothill Transportation Corridor | 5.3 mi | 6m |
| I 5 Truck | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| Magnolia Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Del Obispo Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Stonehill Drive | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Riverside Freeway
— 18.6 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dana Point, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on Golden Lantern Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Golden Lantern Street
2
Turn left onto Del Prado Avenue
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Del Prado Avenue
3
Turn right onto PCH
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
Pacific Coast Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto Del Obispo Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Del Obispo Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
Turn right onto Stonehill Drive
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Stonehill Drive
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
7
Merge onto I 5
4.5 mi
·
5 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
7.4 mi
·
8 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 5 Truck
Toward Bake Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
I 5 Truck
Use the slight right lane.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 95
Toward CA 133 North: Riverside
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto CA 133 Toll
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Eastern Transportation Corridor
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
1.3 mi
·
2 min
Exit 14B
Toward CA 241 North: Riverside
14
Merge onto CA 241 Toll
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Foothill Transportation Corridor
15
Merge onto CA 241 Toll
5.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Eastern Transportation Corridor
16
Keep slight right at fork
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 39A
Toward CA 91 East: Riverside
Use the slight right lane.
17
Merge onto CA 91
19 mi
·
21 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 60
Toward Madison Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Turn left onto Madison Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Madison Street
Use the left lane.
20
Turn right onto Magnolia Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Magnolia Avenue
21
Turn right
102 ft
·
8 sec
22
At end of road, turn left
181 ft
·
13 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 27.3 mi from Dana Point, CA · 34m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.3 miles from Dana Point, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Riverside, CA
The final approach into Riverside, 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
$12.57 one way
$25.14 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $12.96 | $25.91 |
| premium | $6.18 | $13.30 | $26.60 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.08 | $24.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.4 | 0 | $5.74 | $2.63 |
| Efficient EV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.79 | $2.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.9 | 0 | $7.66 | $3.50 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Morning in Riverside on Friday
Local time
8:52 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°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.
Road read
1h 8m 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 Dana Point, CA to Riverside, CA covers 54.7 miles and takes about 1h 8m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Riverside Freeway, San Diego Freeway, Eastern Transportation Corridor. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27.3 miles from Dana Point, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.57 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 54.7 miles you will encounter 21 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 7 miles (I 5 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Dana Point, CA to Riverside, 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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