The drive from Los Angeles, CA to Thermal, CA covers 135.8 miles and takes about 2h 33m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on San Bernardino Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 45.1 miles on San Bernardino Freeway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $31.21 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
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
67.9 miles from Los Angeles, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 17m into the drive
.
Loading map...
Drive Character
This is a 2h 33m highway drive covering 135.8 miles, with most of the trip on San Bernardino Freeway and Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 45.1 miles on San Bernardino Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 27 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
San Bernardino Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 45.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Bernardino Freeway and Pearl Harbor Memorial 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 North Main Street.
Route Complexity9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
This is a demanding drive. With 25 significant decision points across 135.8 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: near the start (North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (East Aliso Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.7 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 25 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.
6
10.7 mi into trip|~13m in|I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
134.6 mi into trip|~2h 30m in
Take the exit toward Airport Blvd
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
Exit 16
Toward Airport Blvd
7
135.5 mi into trip|~2h 32m in|Grapefruit Boulevard
Turn right onto Grapefruit Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Los Angeles, CA and Thermal, CA, road signs point toward Redlands, Palm Springs, Brawley and El Centro.
Redlands
55.5 mi in|~1h 4m|via I 10
Palm Springs
55.5 mi in|~1h 4m|via I 10
Brawley
128.3 mi in|~2h 23m|via CA 86
El Centro
128.3 mi in|~2h 23m|via CA 86
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
San Bernardino Freeway
45.1 mi
51m
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
40.3 mi
44m
Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
32.5 mi
34m
I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
9 mi
9m
CA 86
6.3 mi
7m
Santa Ana Freeway
0.6 mi
<1m
Airport Boulevard
0.5 mi
<1m
Grapefruit Boulevard
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
San Bernardino Freeway
— 45.1 mi, about 51m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Los Angeles, CA and Thermal, 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
0.6 mi·51 sec·Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·32 sec
Exit 1DToward I 10 East: San Bernardino
7
Continue on San Bernardino Freeway
9.3 mi·10 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Toward I 10 EastUse the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
4.1 mi·4 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.1 mi·1 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.2 mi·2 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi·2 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.1 mi·1 min·San Bernardino Freeway
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.5 mi·1 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.4 mi·1 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi·2 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.1 mi·2 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
4.0 mi·4 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 EXPR
9.0 mi·9 min·I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
Use the slight left lane.
19
Merge onto I 10
14 mi·16 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
20
Continue on I 10
40 mi·44 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Toward Redlands, Palm SpringsUse the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
32 mi·34 min·Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 86
6.3 mi·7 min·CA 86
Toward CA 86 South: CA 86 South, Brawley, El Centro
23
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Exit 16Toward Airport BlvdUse the straight / left / right lanes.
24
Turn right onto Airport Boulevard
0.5 mi·54 sec·Airport Boulevard
Use the right lane.
25
Turn right onto Palm Street
0.1 mi·32 sec·Palm Street
26
Turn right onto Grapefruit Boulevard
0.3 mi·28 sec·Grapefruit Boulevard
Use the right lane.
27
Arrive at destination
Grapefruit Boulevard
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 67.9 miles from Los Angeles, CA, or about 1h 17m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 45.1 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 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 67.9 miles or 1h 17m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 5m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Thermal, 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 135.8 miles and 2h 33m.
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.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on San Bernardino Freeway for about 45.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 67.9 mi from Los Angeles, CA
· 1h 17m into the drive
The midpoint is around 67.9 miles from Los Angeles, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Thermal, CA
The final approach into Thermal, 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 Thermal, CA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Joshua Tree National Park
National Park
Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds...
24 mi from route
~61 min detour
$30
near mile 131.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$31.21 one way
$62.43 round trip
$5.84/gal25.4 MPG avg48 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$6.02
$32.16
$64.33
premium
$6.18
$33.03
$66.05
diesel
$5.61
$29.98
$59.97
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$31
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$56–$81
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 47.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
40.7
0
$14.26
$6.52
Efficient EV
34
0
$11.88
$5.43
EV Truck/SUV
54.3
0
$19.01
$8.69
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 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 data refreshed 3 hours ago
Origin
Los Angeles, CA
Evening
in Los Angeles on Tuesday
Local time
8:10 PM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Thermal, CA
Evening
in Thermal on Tuesday
Local time
8:10 PM
PDT
Current temp
57°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
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 33m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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 Thermal, CA covers 135.8 miles and takes about 2h 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are San Bernardino Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 67.9 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 $31.21 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 25 significant decision points across 135.8 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: near the start (North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (East Aliso Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.7 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Los Angeles, CA and Thermal, CA, road signs point toward Redlands, Palm Springs, Brawley and El Centro.
