Origin
Diamond Springs, CA
Afternoon in Diamond Springs on Friday
Local time
12:24 PM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
8h 36m
Distance
447.3 mi
720 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$103
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Diamond Springs, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Fontana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Diamond Springs, CA to Fontana, CA covers 447.3 miles and takes about 8h 36m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on the route, Jackson Road, East Plymouth Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $102.81 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
223.7 miles from Diamond Springs, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 18m into the drive .
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
8h 36m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Expect a 8h 36m drive with frequent turns across 447.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 36m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Diamond Springs, CA to Fontana, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| the route | — | — |
| Jackson Road | — | — |
| East Plymouth Highway | — | — |
| Preston Avenue | — | — |
| East Main Street | — | — |
| South Church Street | — | — |
| CA 4 | — | — |
| Crosstown Freeway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Step-by-step road directions between Diamond Springs, CA and Fontana, CA.
Start on Pleasant Valley Road
Turn left
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
Exit the roundabout
Continue on Jackson Road
Turn left onto East Plymouth Highway
Turn left onto Preston Avenue
At the end of the road, turn left onto East Main Street
Turn right onto South Church Street
At the end of the road, turn right
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
Exit the roundabout
At the end of the road, turn right
Take the ramp slight right
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward CA 4
Merge slight left onto Crosstown Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward I 5: Sacramento
Keep slight left to continue on I 5 South
Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on Westside Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on Westside Freeway
Keep slight right
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward I 210 East: Pasadena
Continue on Foothill Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward Sierra Avenue
Turn right onto Sierra Avenue
Turn left onto Merrill Avenue
Arrive at your destination
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.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 98 miles or 1h 53m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 223.7 miles or 4h 18m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 223.7 miles or 4h 18m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 27m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fontana, CA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Diamond Springs, CA 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 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Diamond Springs, CA
Aim for roughly 224 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Fontana, CA
Aim for roughly 224 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 223.7 mi from Diamond Springs, CA · 4h 18m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
224 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.
Find hotels in Fresno, CANight 1
224 mi · about 4.3h in
A practical overnight split lands near Fresno, CA after about 224 miles or 4.3 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 98 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 223.7 miles from Diamond Springs, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 224 miles or 4.3 hours on the road.
The final approach into Fontana, 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 Fontana, CA.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Fontana, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$102.81 one way
$205.62 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $105.94 | $211.89 |
| premium | $6.18 | $108.78 | $217.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $98.76 | $197.52 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$103
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$233–$343
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 156.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $47 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 134.2 | 1 | $46.97 | $21.47 |
| Efficient EV | 111.8 | 1 | $39.14 | $17.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 178.9 | 2 | $62.62 | $28.63 |
Gas CO2
157 kg
EV CO2
52 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Diamond Springs on Friday
Local time
12:24 PM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Destination
Afternoon in Fontana on Friday
Local time
12:24 PM
PDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
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.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
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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