Origin
Mission Canyon, CA
Evening in Mission Canyon on Friday
Local time
6:11 PM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mission Canyon, CA to San Diego, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 5m
Distance
223.6 mi
360 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$51
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
3h 52m
★
6 AM
4h 5m
8 AM
4h 31m
10 AM
4h 14m
12 PM
4h 12m
3 PM
4h 16m
5 PM
4h 30m
8 PM
3h 58m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mission Canyon, CA
Get Lost Mike
San Diego, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Mission Canyon, CA to San Diego, CA covers 223.6 miles and takes about 4h 5m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Cheltenham Road, Williams Way, Montrose Place for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $51.39 one way before food or hotel costs.
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
111.8 miles from Mission Canyon, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 2m into the drive .
About the Cities
Arriving in San Diego, CA
Full guide →From balmy beaches with a laid-back attitude to a gleaming modern image, San Diego offers much for the tourist to enjoy. Situated on the Southern California seacoast, San Diego is the second largest city in the state, with 1.4 million residents (2020), and has long attracted travelers for its ideal climate, miles of beaches, and location on the Mexican border right across from Tijuana. But there's much more here than surfer culture and a quick hop across the border. A rich maritime and military heritage lives on in San Diego, which is home to the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy. The city has also become known for its part in the wildlife conservation movement, owing to the presence of the world-renowned San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Natural scenery abounds from rocky tidepools and seaside cliffs to desert hills and canyons inland.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 5m. Total distance: 223.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 4h 5m drive with frequent turns across 223.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 32 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Cheltenham Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 5m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Mission Canyon, CA to San Diego, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Road | — | — |
| Williams Way | — | — |
| Montrose Place | — | — |
| Tunnel Road | — | — |
| Mission Canyon Road | — | — |
| Foothill Road | — | — |
| East Los Olivos Street | — | — |
| Garden Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Cheltenham Road
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mission Canyon, CA and San Diego, CA.
1
Start on Dorking Place
262 ft
·
18 sec
·
Dorking Place
2
Turn right onto Cheltenham Road
308 ft
·
14 sec
·
Cheltenham Road
3
Turn right onto Williams Way
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Williams Way
4
At the end of the road, turn right onto Montrose Place
269 ft
·
14 sec
·
Montrose Place
5
Turn straight onto Tunnel Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Tunnel Road
6
Turn straight onto Mission Canyon Road
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
·
Mission Canyon Road
7
Turn slight right onto Foothill Road
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Foothill Road
8
Turn left onto Mission Canyon Road
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
·
Mission Canyon Road
9
Continue on East Los Olivos Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
East Los Olivos Street
10
Turn left onto Garden Street
1.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Garden Street
11
Take the ramp left toward US 101 South
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
US 101 South
12
Merge slight left onto El Camino Real
12 mi
·
14 min
·
El Camino Real
13
Continue on Ventura Freeway
65 mi
·
1 hr 15 min
·
Ventura Freeway
14
Take the exit slight right toward I 405 North, I 405 South: Sacramento, Santa Monica
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
I 405 North, I 405 South: Sacramento, Santa Monica
15
Keep slight right to continue on I 405 South: San Diego Freeway, Santa Monica
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
I 405 South: San Diego Freeway, Santa Monica
16
Keep slight left to continue on I 405 South: San Diego Freeway
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
I 405 South: San Diego Freeway
17
Merge slight left onto San Diego Freeway
13 mi
·
15 min
·
San Diego Freeway
18
Keep slight right to continue on San Diego Freeway
27 mi
·
30 min
·
San Diego Freeway
19
Keep slight right to continue on San Diego Freeway
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
San Diego Freeway
20
Keep slight left to continue on San Diego Freeway
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
·
San Diego Freeway
21
Keep slight left
10 mi
·
11 min
22
Keep slight right to continue on Corona Del Mar Freeway
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Corona Del Mar Freeway
23
Continue on San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
10 mi
·
11 min
·
San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
24
Take the exit slight right toward La Paz Road, Moulton Parkway
436 ft
·
6 sec
·
La Paz Road, Moulton Parkway
25
Keep slight left to continue on CA 73 South: Moulton Parkway
0.5 mi
·
33 sec
·
CA 73 South: Moulton Parkway
26
Keep slight left to continue on CA 73 South
0.6 mi
·
42 sec
·
CA 73 South
27
Merge slight left onto San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
28
Merge slight left onto San Diego Freeway
68 mi
·
1 hr 19 min
·
San Diego Freeway
29
Take the exit slight right toward Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd Avenue
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd Avenue
30
Keep slight right to continue on Front Street, Civic Center
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Front Street, Civic Center
31
Continue on Front Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Front Street
32
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 111.8 miles from Mission Canyon, CA, or about 2h 2m into the drive.
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 49 miles or 53m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 111.8 miles or 2h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 21m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near San Diego, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Mission Canyon, 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 Mission Canyon, CA
This is one driving day of about 223.6 miles and 4h 5m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 49 miles from Mission Canyon, 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.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 111.8 mi from Mission Canyon, CA · 2h 2m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
112 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 49 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 111.8 miles from Mission Canyon, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in San Diego, CA
The final approach into San Diego, 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 San Diego, 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
$51.39 one way
$102.79 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
78 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $52.96 | $105.92 |
| premium | $6.18 | $54.38 | $108.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $49.37 | $98.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$51
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$76–$101
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 78.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 67.1 | 0 | $23.48 | $10.73 |
| Efficient EV | 55.9 | 0 | $19.56 | $8.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 89.4 | 1 | $31.30 | $14.31 |
Gas CO2
78 kg
EV CO2
26 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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.
Destination
San Diego, CA
Evening in San Diego on Friday
Local time
6:11 PM
PDT
Current temp
56°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
13 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
4h 5m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Mission Canyon, CA to San Diego, CA covers 223.6 miles and takes about 4h 5m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Cheltenham Road, Williams Way, Montrose Place. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 111.8 miles from Mission Canyon, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $51.39 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 5m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Mission Canyon, CA to San Diego, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Mission Canyon, CA to San Diego, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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