Drive Time
11h 50m
Distance
614.9 mi
990 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$84
one way
Photo: Stephen Leonardi
The drive from Irvine, CA to Susanville, CA covers 614.9 miles and takes about 11h 50m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on University Drive, Jeffrey Road, I 405 North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $83.52 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
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
307.5 miles from Irvine, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 55m into the drive .
At 614.9 miles and 11h 50m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are University Drive and Jeffrey Road.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| University Drive | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Jeffrey Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 405 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| San Diego Freeway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| CA 55 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| CA 55 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 5 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Irvine, CA and Susanville, CA.
Start on San Diego Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward University Drive, Jeffrey Road
Turn left onto Jeffrey Road
Take the ramp slight right toward I 405 North: Los Angeles
Merge slight left onto San Diego Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward CA 55 South, CA 55 North: Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on CA 55 North
Merge slight left onto Costa Mesa Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Costa Mesa Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward I 5 North: Santa Ana
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Golden State Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
Keep slight left
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway
Keep left to continue on Westside Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Golden State Highway
Continue on Bernie Richter Memorial Highway
Keep slight right to continue on CA 70 North: Marysville, Oroville
Turn right onto 5th Street
Turn left onto B Street
Continue straight
Keep slight left
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward CA 32: Orland, Chester
Turn right onto Deer Creek Highway
At the end of the road, turn right onto State Highway 36 East
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
Exit the roundabout
Turn right onto Foss Street
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 135 miles or 2h 36m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 307.5 miles or 5h 55m 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 307.5 miles or 5h 55m
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 10h 41m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Susanville, CA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Irvine, 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 Irvine, CA
Aim for roughly 307 miles and 5.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Susanville, CA
Aim for roughly 307 miles and 5.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 307.5 mi from Irvine, CA · 5h 55m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
203 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
406 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 Chico, CANight 1
307 mi · about 5.9h in
A practical overnight split lands near Roseville, CA after about 307 miles or 5.9 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 135 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 307.5 miles from Irvine, 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 307 miles or 5.9 hours on the road.
Final-third reset
Rest stopPlan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.
The final approach into Susanville, 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 Susanville, CA.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Susanville, 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
$83.52 one way
$167.04 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.85 | $93.20 | $186.41 |
| premium | $4.15 | $100.47 | $200.93 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $90.78 | $181.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$84
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$214–$324
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 215.1 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $65 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 184.5 | 2 | $64.56 | $29.52 |
| Efficient EV | 153.7 | 1 | $53.80 | $24.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 246 | 3 | $86.09 | $39.35 |
Gas CO2
215 kg
EV CO2
72 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Morning in Irvine on Saturday
Local time
8:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Morning in Susanville on Saturday
Local time
8:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
63°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
74°F
Turlock, CA
203 mi in
50°F
Chico, CA
406 mi in
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.
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