Origin
Glendale, CA
Morning in Glendale on Saturday
Local time
8:07 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Glendale, CA to Arcata, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
10m
Distance
7.4 mi
12 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 9m
★
6 AM
0h 10m
8 AM
0h 12m
10 AM
0h 11m
12 PM
0h 11m
3 PM
0h 11m
5 PM
0h 12m
8 PM
0h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arcata, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Glendale, CA to Arcata, CA covers 7.4 miles and takes about 10m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CA 299, Redwood Highway, Glendale Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.7 miles on CA 299. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.70 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 10m. Total distance: 7.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Glendale, CA to Arcata, CA covers 7.4 miles and takes about 10m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
CA 299 is the longest continuous segment at about 3.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.5 miles in near US 101 / Redwood Highway.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 7.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 10m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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.
6
6.4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward Samoa Sunny Brae
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Samoa Sunny Brae
9
6.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 255: Arcata, Sunnybrae
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 255: Arcata, Sunnybrae
7
6.8 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
7
7.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Glendale, CA and Arcata, CA, road signs point toward Samoa Sunny Brae and Sunnybrae.
Samoa Sunny Brae
6.4 mi in
|
~8m
Sunnybrae
6.6 mi in
|
~8m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 299 | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| Redwood Highway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Glendale Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Samoa Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 299
— 3.7 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Glendale, CA and Arcata, 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
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward Samoa Sunny Brae
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward CA 255: Arcata, Sunnybrae
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn straight onto CA 255
333 ft
·
8 sec
·
Samoa Boulevard
11
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Use the straight lane.
13
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.70 one way
$3.40 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $1.75 | $3.51 |
| premium | $6.18 | $1.80 | $3.60 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.63 | $3.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.78 | $0.36 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.65 | $0.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.47 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Arcata, CA
Morning in Arcata on Saturday
Local time
8:07 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°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
5 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
10m 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 Glendale, CA to Arcata, CA covers 7.4 miles and takes about 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are CA 299, Redwood Highway, Glendale Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.7 miles from Glendale, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.70 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 short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 7.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 10m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Glendale, CA and Arcata, CA, road signs point toward Samoa Sunny Brae and Sunnybrae.
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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