Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
17.1 mi
27 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Lawndale, CA
Stephen Leonardi
The drive from Los Angeles, CA to Lawndale, CA covers 17.1 miles and takes about 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Harbor Freeway, West Rosecrans Avenue, Hawthorne Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.8 miles on Harbor Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.93 one way before food or hotel costs.
Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have quipped, "Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles," a quote that has since been repeated both by those who love and hate L.A. The "City of Angels" is home to people who hail from all parts of the globe and an important center of culture, business, media, and international trade. However, it's most famous for being a major center of the world's television, motion picture, and music industry, which forms the base of the city's status and lures visitors for its show business history and celebrity culture. Visitors are also drawn to Los Angeles for its Mediterranean climate and numerous beaches, which gave birth to California's famed surf culture.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 17.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
This is a 23m highway drive covering 17.1 miles, with most of the trip on Harbor Freeway and West Rosecrans Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 10.8 miles on Harbor Freeway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Harbor Freeway and West Rosecrans Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Spring Street.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 17.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 23m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Spring Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn left onto South Spring Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward CA 110 South, CA 110 North: Harbor Freeway
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 110 South: Harbor Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Take the exit toward Rosecrans Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto West Rosecrans Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Harbor Freeway | 10.8 mi | 12m |
| West Rosecrans Avenue | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| Hawthorne Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| West 3rd Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| South Spring Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Manhattan Beach Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Los Angeles, CA and Lawndale, CA.
Start on West 1st Street
Turn left onto South Spring Street
Turn right onto West 3rd Street
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto CA 110
Keep slight right at fork onto I 110
Take the exit
Turn right onto West Rosecrans Avenue
Turn left onto Hawthorne Boulevard
Turn left onto Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$3.93 one way
$7.86 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.05 | $8.10 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.16 | $8.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.78 | $7.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6 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 | 5.1 | 0 | $1.80 | $0.82 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Los Angeles on Saturday
Local time
12:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
53°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Lawndale on Saturday
Local time
12:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
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
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.
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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