Origin
Fontana, CA
Afternoon in Fontana on Friday
Local time
2:22 PM
PDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fontana, 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
22m
Distance
12 mi
19 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fontana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 12-mile drive from Fontana to Riverside, California, is easily manageable in about 22 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate local streets like Sierra Avenue, Mission Boulevard, and Magnolia Avenue, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost is a budget-friendly $3, and with no designated stops, you have the flexibility to explore as you go. This straightforward journey within the Pacific Coast region offers a convenient way to connect two nearby California locations without a significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 12 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this short hop between Fontana and Riverside. With zero highway share, you'll be navigating city streets for the entire 12 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6 miles along Sierra Avenue. This route's personality is defined by frequent intersections and changes in direction, rather than long, sweeping vistas. It's a drive that requires your attention to local traffic patterns and signals.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Sierra Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Sierra Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 22m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Sierra Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (CA 60 Business / Mission Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles (Redwood Drive): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 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
|
Sierra Avenue
Turn left onto Sierra Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
CA 60 Business / Mission Boulevard
Turn left onto CA 60 Business / Mission Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
9 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Redwood Drive
Turn right onto Redwood Drive
Navigation decision point
6
11.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Central Avenue
Turn left onto Central Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
12 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Turn sharp right
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra Avenue | 6 mi | 9m |
| Mission Boulevard | 2 mi | 3m |
| Magnolia Avenue | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| University Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Pacific Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Buena Vista Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Mission Inn Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Sierra Avenue
— 6 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fontana, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on Merrill Avenue
205 ft
·
9 sec
·
Merrill Avenue
2
Turn left onto Sierra Avenue
6.0 mi
·
9 min
·
Sierra Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on Pacific Avenue
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Pacific Avenue
4
Turn left onto CA 60 Business
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Mission Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on CA 60 Business
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
Buena Vista Avenue
6
Continue on CA 60 Business
523 ft
·
14 sec
·
Mission Inn Avenue
7
Turn right onto Redwood Drive
371 ft
·
6 sec
·
Redwood Drive
8
Continue on University Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
University Avenue
9
Turn right onto Market Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Market Street
10
Continue on Magnolia Avenue
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Magnolia Avenue
11
Turn left onto Central Avenue
168 ft
·
6 sec
·
Central Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
Turn sharp right
171 ft
·
12 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.76 one way
$5.52 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.84 | $5.68 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.92 | $5.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.65 | $5.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.26 | $0.58 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.05 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Afternoon in Riverside on Friday
Local time
2:22 PM
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.
Temperature spread
24 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
22m 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 Fontana, CA to Riverside, CA covers 12 miles and takes about 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Sierra Avenue, Mission Boulevard, Magnolia Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6 miles from Fontana, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.76 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 straightforward 22m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Sierra Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (CA 60 Business / Mission Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles (Redwood Drive): Navigation decision point.
The route from Fontana, 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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