Origin
Fontana, CA
Late night in Fontana on Saturday
Local time
4:14 AM
PDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fontana, CA to Downey, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
48.9 mi
79 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fontana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Downey, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Fontana, CA to Downey, CA covers 48.9 miles and takes about 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Sierra Avenue, I 10 West, San Bernardino Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.24 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Downey, CA
Full guide →Founded 1873
Top landmarks
- • Columbia Memorial Space Center — science Museum in Downey, California
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 48.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m 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 58m drive with frequent turns across 48.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Sierra Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Fontana, CA to Downey, CA is easy. At 58m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fontana, CA to Downey, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra Avenue | — | — |
| I 10 West | — | — |
| San Bernardino Freeway | — | — |
| I-10 | — | — |
| I 605 | — | — |
| I 605 South | — | — |
| San Gabriel River Freeway | — | — |
| Firestone Boulevard | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Sierra Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fontana, CA and Downey, CA.
1
Start on Merrill Avenue
207 ft
·
9 sec
·
Merrill Avenue
2
Turn left onto Sierra Avenue
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Sierra Avenue
3
Take the ramp slight right toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
I 10 West: Los Angeles
4
Merge slight left onto San Bernardino Freeway
5.8 mi
·
6 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
5
Keep slight left to continue on I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
9.3 mi
·
9 min
·
I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
6
Merge slight right onto San Bernardino Freeway
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
7
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
8
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
9
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
10
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
11
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
12
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
13
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
14
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
15
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
16
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
17
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
18
Take the exit slight right toward I 605: San Gabriel River Freeway
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
I 605: San Gabriel River Freeway
19
Keep slight left to continue on I 605 South: San Bernardino
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
I 605 South: San Bernardino
20
Merge slight left onto San Gabriel River Freeway
11 mi
·
13 min
·
San Gabriel River Freeway
21
Take the exit slight right toward Firestone Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Firestone Boulevard
22
Turn right onto Firestone Boulevard
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Firestone Boulevard
23
Turn right
43 ft
·
3 sec
24
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24.4 mi from Fontana, CA · 29m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.4 miles from Fontana, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Downey, CA
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Downey, CA if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.24 one way
$22.48 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.58 | $23.16 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.89 | $23.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.80 | $21.59 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.13 | $2.35 |
| Efficient EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.28 | $1.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.6 | 0 | $6.85 | $3.13 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Downey, CA
Late night in Downey on Saturday
Local time
4:14 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°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
4 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
58m 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 Downey, CA covers 48.9 miles and takes about 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Sierra Avenue, I 10 West, San Bernardino Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 24.4 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 $11.24 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.
The drive from Fontana, CA to Downey, CA is easy. At 58m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fontana, CA to Downey, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fontana, CA to Downey, 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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