Origin
Glendale, CA
Afternoon in Glendale on Saturday
Local time
12:43 PM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Glendale, CA to Fortuna, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
31.6 mi
51 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fortuna, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Glendale to Fortuna is 31.6 miles and takes about 45 minutes via Redwood Highway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within California's Pacific Coast region, offering a quick transition from urban edge to a more rural feel. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a spontaneous trip or as part of a larger journey. Consider this a straightforward hop rather than an epic adventure, perfect for when you need to cover a modest distance efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Highway | 21.6 mi | 26m |
| CA 299 | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| Broadway Street | 3 mi | 6m |
| 4th Street | 1.5 mi | 4m |
| US 101 Business | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Glendale Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 9th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Redwood Highway
— 21.6 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Glendale, CA and Fortuna, CA.
1
Start on Glendale Drive
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Glendale Drive
2
Continue on Glendale Drive
280 ft
·
7 sec
·
Glendale Drive
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
4
Merge onto CA 299
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
CA 299
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
6
Merge onto US 101
8.5 mi
·
11 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on US 101
1.5 mi
·
4 min
·
4th Street
Use the left / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto US 101
3.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Broadway Street
Use the left / right lanes.
9
Continue on US 101
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit onto US 101 Business
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
US 101 Business
Toward US 101 Business: Main Street
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn left onto 9th Street
148 ft
·
8 sec
·
9th Street
12
Turn right
80 ft
·
5 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 31.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.8 miles from Glendale, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 31.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
5
4.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 101 / Redwood Highway
Merge onto US 101 / Redwood Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
14.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
US 101 / Broadway Street
Turn left onto US 101 / Broadway Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
6
30.6 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
US 101 Business
Take the exit onto US 101 Business toward US 101 Business: Main Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 101 Business: Main Street
5
31.6 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.26 one way
$14.53 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.48 | $14.97 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.68 | $15.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.98 | $13.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.42 | $2.02 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Fortuna, CA
Afternoon in Fortuna on Saturday
Local time
12:43 PM
PDT
Current temp
46°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
45m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with only about 15% of the journey on highways. You'll primarily navigate on Redwood Highway, CA 299, and Broadway Street. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 21.6 miles along Redwood Highway. This means you'll be making frequent adjustments and navigating through various local road conditions, so keep your focus sharp.
Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.6 mi on Redwood Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 31.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles (US 101 / Broadway Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Fortuna, CA
Full guide →Fortuna is a city in Humboldt County in the North Coast region of the state of 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 45m. Total distance: 31.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.6 miles on Redwood Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Fortuna, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles (US 101 / Broadway Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fortuna, CA before heading back.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Fortuna, CA
More from Glendale, CA
More trips to Fortuna, CA
Explore more options from Glendale, CA or browse trips ending in Fortuna, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.