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Trip from Los Angeles, CA to South Taft, CA

Data updated 1 hour ago

Drive Time

2h 28m

Distance

118.6 mi

191 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$27

one way

EV Charging

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station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
2h 18m ★
6 AM
2h 28m
8 AM
2h 48m
10 AM
2h 35m
12 PM
2h 33m
3 PM
2h 36m
5 PM
2h 47m
8 PM
2h 22m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown los-angeles-ca

Los Angeles, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

The drive from Los Angeles, CA to South Taft, CA covers 118.6 miles and takes about 2h 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 5 Truck, Golden State Freeway, Maricopa Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 37.7 miles on I 5 Truck. At current regular gas prices, budget about $27.26 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

59.3 miles from Los Angeles, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 11m into the drive .

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Drive Character

This is a 2h 28m highway drive covering 118.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 5 Truck and Golden State Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 37.7 miles on I 5 Truck.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 5 Truck is the longest continuous segment at about 37.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 Truck and Golden State Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 16.9 miles in.

Route Complexity 9/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 118.6 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 16.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.3 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.5 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 15 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
16.9 mi into trip | ~22m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
22.3 mi into trip | ~28m in | I 5 / Golden State Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
24.5 mi into trip | ~31m in | I 5 Truck

Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 161A Toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
6
26.1 mi into trip | ~33m in | I 5 Truck

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
62.2 mi into trip | ~1h 14m in | I 5 / Golden State Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

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 South Taft, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Taft along the way.

Taft

88.8 mi in | ~1h 44m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 5 Truck 37.7 mi 43m
Golden State Freeway 29 mi 33m
Maricopa Highway 22.4 mi 30m
Hollywood Freeway 15.5 mi 19m
West Side Highway 5.5 mi 7m
Westside Freeway 4.3 mi 4m
Santa Ana Freeway 0.7 mi <1m
Wood Street 0.6 mi 2m
Longest stretch: I 5 Truck — 37.7 mi, about 43m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Los Angeles, CA and South Taft, CA.

1

Start on West 1st Street

0.1 mi · 32 sec · West 1st Street
2

Turn right onto North Broadway

0.4 mi · 49 sec · North Broadway
3

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Toward US 101 North, CA 110
4

Merge onto US 101

0.7 mi · 55 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
5

Continue on US 101

15 mi · 19 min · Hollywood Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork

0.9 mi · 59 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Merge onto I 5

4.5 mi · 5 min · Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5

2.2 mi · 2 min · Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck

1.5 mi · 1 min · I 5 Truck
Exit 161A Toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck

36 mi · 41 min · I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5

22 mi · 25 min · Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork onto I 5

4.3 mi · 4 min · Westside Freeway
Toward I 5 North
13

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 38 sec
Toward CA 166: Maricopa, Taft
14

Turn left onto CA 166

22 mi · 30 min · Maricopa Highway
15

Continue on CA 166

0.5 mi · 53 sec · Poso Street
16

Turn right onto CA 33

0.4 mi · 51 sec · California Street
17

Continue on CA 33

5.5 mi · 7 min · West Side Highway
18

Turn left onto Wood Street

0.6 mi · 2 min · Wood Street
19

Turn right onto Olive Avenue

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Olive Avenue
20

Arrive at destination

Olive Avenue

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 59.3 miles from Los Angeles, CA, or about 1h 11m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 37.7 miles.

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 80 miles or 1h 35m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 59.3 miles or 1h 11m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 56m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near South Taft, CA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA

This is one driving day of about 118.6 miles and 2h 28m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Los Angeles, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on I 5 Truck for about 37.7 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 59.3 mi from Los Angeles, CA · 1h 11m into the drive

city in Los Angeles County, California, USA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Santa Clarita, CA

59 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Bakersfield, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Santa Clarita, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 59.3 miles from Los Angeles, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in South Taft, CA

The final approach into South Taft, 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 South Taft, CA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$27.26 one way

$54.52 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 42 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $28.09 $56.18
premium $6.18 $28.84 $57.68
diesel $5.61 $26.19 $52.37

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$27

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$52–$77

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 41.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 35.6 0 $12.45 $5.69
Efficient EV 29.7 0 $10.38 $4.74
EV Truck/SUV 47.4 0 $16.60 $7.59

Gas CO2

41 kg

EV CO2

14 kg (66% 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 data refreshed 10 hours ago

Origin

Los Angeles, CA

Late night in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Local time

12:38 AM

PDT

Current temp

72°F

Sunny

SW 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 14 at 11:57AM PDT until April 15 at 3:00AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 14 at 9:35AM PDT until April 15 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR

Destination

South Taft, CA

Late night in South Taft on Wednesday

Local time

12:38 AM

PDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

5 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

2h 28m 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 South Taft, CA covers 118.6 miles and takes about 2h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 5 Truck, Golden State Freeway, Maricopa Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 59.3 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 $27.26 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 demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 118.6 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 16.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.3 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.5 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Los Angeles, CA to South Taft, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Taft along the way.

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