Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6h 5m
Distance
300.4 mi
483 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$69
one way
EV Charging
Excellent
10 DC fast
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Laguna, CA
Tori Pezzulla❤️
Fortuna, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Laguna, CA to Fortuna, CA is 300.4 miles and takes about 6h 5m via Redwood Highway, Saint Helena Highway, and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $69 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This one-day drive traverses the Pacific Coast region of California, offering a mix of highway and more intimate local roads. With a recommended one-day duration, you can expect a dynamic journey that doesn't require an overnight stop, making it a convenient option for a quick trip up the coast. The estimated fuel cost of $69 provides a good baseline for budgeting your travel expenses.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
150.2 miles from Laguna, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 59m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Highway | 169.4 mi | 3h 28m |
| Saint Helena Highway | 51.2 mi | 59m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 37.9 mi | 43m |
| South Sacramento Freeway | 9.9 mi | 11m |
| CA 12 | 6.7 mi | 8m |
| Capital City Freeway | 5 mi | 5m |
| Willits Bypass | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| Yolo Causeway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
Step-by-step road directions between Laguna, CA and Fortuna, CA.
Start on Fall Breeze Court
Turn right onto Mapleview Way
Turn right onto November Drive
Turn left onto Seasons Drive
Turn left onto Bruceville Road
Turn right onto Laguna Boulevard
Continue on Bond Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto CA 99
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on US 50
Continue on I 80
Continue on I 80
Take the exit onto CA 12
Continue on Airport Boulevard
Turn right onto CA 29
Continue on CA 12; CA 29
Continue on CA 29; CA 128
Continue on CA 29; CA 128
Continue on CA 128
Continue on CA 128
Continue on CA 128
At end of road, turn right onto CA 128
Turn left onto CA 128
Take the exit onto CA 128
Merge onto US 101; CA 128
Continue on US 101
Take the exit
Merge onto US 101
Continue on US 101
Take the exit
Continue on 12th Street
Turn left onto US 101 Business
Turn right onto 9th Street
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Given the 6h 5m estimated duration, departing early in the morning from Laguna, CA, is advisable to maximize daylight and allow for any unexpected delays. While this is a one-day trip, consider a brief stop around the halfway point to stretch your legs and refuel, especially since the longest stretch is over 169 miles. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, particularly when you're on the Redwood Highway, as services might be less frequent in certain stretches. The turn-heavy nature of this drive means you'll want to be well-rested before you start.
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.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 66 miles or 1h 19m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 150.2 miles or 2h 59m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 57m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fortuna, CA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Laguna, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Laguna, CA
This is one driving day of about 300.4 miles and 6h 5m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
150 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.
A short stop after about 66 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 150.2 miles from Laguna, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Redwood Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 169.4 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 300.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Laguna Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward US 50 West, US 50 East: San Francisco, South Lake Tahoe
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward US 50 West: San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto CA 12
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 101 Business / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$69.04 one way
$138.09 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $71.15 | $142.30 |
| premium | $6.18 | $73.05 | $146.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $66.32 | $132.65 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$69
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$94–$119
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 105.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
10 DC fast chargers · Coverage: excellent
ChargePoint Charging Station
Fortuna, California
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Loleta, California
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Cloverdale, California
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Miranda, California
1 DCFC
Rivian Adventure Network
Fortuna, California
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Fortuna, California
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Cloverdale, California
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
West Sacramento, California
1 DCFC
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $32 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 90.1 | 1 | $31.54 | $14.42 |
| Efficient EV | 75.1 | 0 | $26.28 | $12.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 120.2 | 1 | $42.06 | $19.23 |
Gas CO2
105 kg
EV CO2
35 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Laguna on Saturday
Local time
10:58 AM
PDT
Current temp
78°F
Sunny
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 1:22AM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Destination
Morning in Fortuna on Saturday
Local time
10:58 AM
PDT
Current temp
65°F
Partly Sunny
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 1:22AM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
63°F
Cloverdale, CA
150 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.
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
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Memorial
On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion jolted the San Francisco East Bay area, shattering windows and lighting up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were killed instantly when two s...
National Historical Park
Celebrate and honor the contributions and sacrifices of American civilians on the WWII home front. Discover how diverse communities lived, worked, and interacted. Many faces, many stories, many truths...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with only a 7% share of highway driving. You'll spend most of your time on more winding, local roads rather than high-speed interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 169.4 miles on the Redwood Highway, offering a significant period of consistent travel before potential turns or changes in road character. Expect a driving experience that requires your attention, with frequent adjustments to speed and direction as you navigate the terrain.
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 0.8 miles in near Laguna Boulevard.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 20 significant decision points across 300.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (Laguna Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 5m. Total distance: 300.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 5m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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