Origin
La Mirada, CA
Late night in La Mirada on Friday
Local time
3:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from La Mirada, CA to Los Angeles, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
18.5 mi
30 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
La Mirada, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
Traveling from La Mirada to Los Angeles is a quick, straightforward journey covering 18.5 miles. You can expect to reach your destination in approximately 26 minutes, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting around $3 for fuel will comfortably cover your transit between these two Pacific Coast locations. Since the entire route stays within California, you won't need to worry about changing time zones or navigating complex regional shifts. It is a highly efficient drive that serves as a practical connection between the suburbs and the heart of the city.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 18.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This trip is heavily highway-focused, with 73% of your travel occurring on major thoroughfares. You will spend the bulk of your time on the Santa Ana Freeway, which accounts for your longest uninterrupted stretch of 13.5 miles. The route transitions from the Santa Ana Freeway to the Imperial Highway and eventually North Los Angeles Street as you approach your final destination. Expect a consistent, fast-paced experience rather than a winding scenic tour. Because the drive is dominated by high-speed corridors, you should prepare for a standard interstate driving environment from start to finish.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Santa Ana Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.5 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
285 ft
121 ft
Total Climb
176 ft
Total Descent
85 ft
Highest Point
285 ft
~18.5 mi in
Elevation Range
164 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Imperial Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Imperial Highway.
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 18.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Imperial Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Imperial Highway
Depart onto Imperial Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
3.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
5
4.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
14.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
17.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 2B
Toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 13.5 mi | 16m |
| Imperial Highway | 3.9 mi | 7m |
| North Los Angeles Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Arcadia Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 13.5 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between La Mirada, CA and Los Angeles, CA.
1
Start on Imperial Highway
3.9 mi
·
7 min
·
Imperial Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Use the right lane.
3
Merge onto I 5
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 2B
Toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on I 10 EXPR
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
East Arcadia Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Turn left onto North Los Angeles Street
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
North Los Angeles Street
8
Turn right onto East 1st Street
461 ft
·
17 sec
·
East 1st Street
9
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.25 one way
$8.50 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.38 | $8.76 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.50 | $9.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.08 | $8.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.94 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.18 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Los Angeles, CA
Late night in Los Angeles on Friday
Local time
3:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Lake Wind Advisory
Lake Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 16 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
26m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from La Mirada, CA to Los Angeles, CA covers 18.5 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Santa Ana Freeway, Imperial Highway, North Los Angeles Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.2 miles from La Mirada, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.25 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 8 decision points packed into just 18.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Imperial Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from La Mirada, CA to Los Angeles, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 121 ft to 285 ft elevation with about 176 ft of total climbing.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Elevation is sampled from USGS 3DEP. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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