Traveling from Los Angeles to La Mirada is a straightforward 18.5-mile journey that typically takes about 26 minutes. Because this trip is so brief, it is perfect for a quick one-day excursion within the Pacific Coast region. You can expect to spend roughly $3 on fuel, making it a very budget-friendly transit. By utilizing the Santa Ana Freeway, Imperial Highway, and North Main Street, you will find this route is highly efficient for commuters or casual travelers. Since both cities are located in Southern California, you will remain within the same coastal region throughout the entire duration of your drive.
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 (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused experience, as 74% of your journey is spent on major thoroughfares. You will spend the bulk of your time on the Santa Ana Freeway, which serves as the longest uninterrupted stretch at 13.8 miles. The transition from the dense urban environment of Los Angeles to the suburban streets of La Mirada happens quickly once you exit the freeway. While you will encounter a mix of high-speed interstate driving and local roadway navigation, the overall feel is functional rather than scenic. Staying alert is key during the primary highway phase to ensure a smooth transition onto the Imperial Highway.
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 13.8 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
301 ft109 ft
Total Climb
128 ft
Total Descent
219 ft
Highest Point
301 ft
~1.3 mi in
Elevation Range
192 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Imperial Highway. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Main Street.
Driving Effort5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.5 miles you will encounter 6 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (East Aliso Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0 mi into trip|~0m in|North Main Street
Turn left onto North Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|East Aliso Street
Turn right onto East Aliso Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
0.4 mi into trip|~0m in
Take the ramp toward US 101 South, I 10 East, I 5 South
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 101 South, I 10 East, I 5 South
5
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge onto US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
14.3 mi into trip|~18m in
Take the exit toward Imperial Highway, Norwalk Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 122
Toward Imperial Highway, Norwalk Boulevard
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Los Angeles, CA to La Mirada, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Imperial Highway along the way.
Imperial Highway
14.3 mi in|~18m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Santa Ana Freeway
13.8 mi
16m
Imperial Highway
4 mi
7m
North Main Street
0.3 mi
<1m
East Aliso Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
West 1st Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 13.8 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Los Angeles, CA and La Mirada, CA.
1
Start on West 1st Street
69 ft·9 sec·West 1st Street
2
Turn left onto North Main Street
0.3 mi·34 sec·North Main Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto East Aliso Street
338 ft·13 sec·East Aliso Street
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi·19 sec
Toward US 101 South, I 10 East, I 5 South
5
Merge onto US 101
14 mi·16 min·Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·38 sec
Exit 122Toward Imperial Highway, Norwalk BoulevardUse the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn left onto Imperial Highway
3.9 mi·7 min·Imperial Highway
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Continue on Imperial Highway
154 ft·13 sec·Imperial Highway
Use the left lane.
9
Arrive at destination
Imperial Highway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.25 one way
$8.50 round trip
$5.84/gal25.4 MPG avg7 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.
Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026
Origin
Los Angeles, CA
Late night
in Los Angeles on Friday
Local time
3:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 10 mph0% chanceLive 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
Destination
La Mirada, CA
Late night
in La Mirada on Friday
Local time
3:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°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
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 Los Angeles, CA to La Mirada, 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 Main 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 Los Angeles, 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.5 miles you will encounter 6 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (East Aliso Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Los Angeles, CA to La Mirada, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Imperial Highway along the way.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 109 ft to 301 ft elevation with about 128 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.
