Skip to main content

Trip from Orange, CA to Fontana, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

56m

Distance

46.2 mi

74 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 52m ★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m

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

city in Orange County, California, United States

Orange, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Fontana, CA, CA

Fontana, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Orange, CA to Fontana, CA covers 46.2 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Orange Freeway, San Bernardino Freeway, I-10 Metro ExpressLanes for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15.8 miles on Orange Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.62 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 46.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

56m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 56m highway drive covering 46.2 miles, with most of the trip on Orange Freeway and San Bernardino Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 15.8 miles on Orange Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Orange Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 15.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Orange Freeway and San Bernardino Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 18.8 miles in near CA 57.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 46.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 18.8 miles (CA 57): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 22 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

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

7
18.8 mi into trip | ~23m in | CA 57

Take the exit onto CA 57 toward CA 57 North

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 25 Toward CA 57 North
7
22 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward I 10 West, I 10 East: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ontario Airport

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 10 West, I 10 East: Los Angeles, San B...
8
22.2 mi into trip | ~27m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San Bernardino

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

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San B...
7
44.2 mi into trip | ~53m in

Take the exit toward Sierra Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 64 Toward Sierra Avenue
8
44.4 mi into trip | ~53m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Sierra Avenue North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward Sierra Avenue North

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Orange, CA and Fontana, CA, road signs point toward San Bernardino and Ontario Airport.

San Bernardino

22 mi in | ~27m

Ontario Airport

22 mi in | ~27m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Orange Freeway 15.8 mi 18m
San Bernardino Freeway 12.5 mi 14m
I-10 Metro ExpressLanes 9 mi 9m
CA 57 3.1 mi 3m
Sierra Avenue 1.7 mi 2m
West Chapman Avenue 1.5 mi 3m
Pomona Freeway 1.2 mi 1m
Plaza Square <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Orange Freeway — 15.8 mi, about 18m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Orange, CA and Fontana, CA.

1

Start on Plaza Square

436 ft · 14 sec · Plaza Square
2

Continue on West Chapman Avenue

1.5 mi · 3 min · West Chapman Avenue
3

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Toward CA 57 North: Pomona
4

Merge onto CA 57

11 mi · 12 min · Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57

2.2 mi · 2 min · Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57

2.6 mi · 3 min · Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Merge onto CA 60; CA 57

1.2 mi · 1 min · Pomona Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit onto CA 57

3.1 mi · 3 min · CA 57
Exit 25 Toward CA 57 North Use the slight right lane.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Toward I 10 West, I 10 East: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ontario Airport Use the slight right lane.
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San Bernardino Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto I 10

2.1 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork onto I 10

4.0 mi · 4 min · San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 EXPR

9.0 mi · 9 min · I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
Use the slight left lane.
14

Merge onto I 10

6.5 mi · 7 min · San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Exit 64 Toward Sierra Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Keep slight left at fork

448 ft · 12 sec
Toward Sierra Avenue North Use the left lane.
17

Turn slight left onto Sierra Avenue

1.7 mi · 2 min · Sierra Avenue
Use the left lane.
18

Turn right onto Merrill Avenue

205 ft · 4 sec · Merrill Avenue
19

Arrive at destination

Merrill Avenue

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 23.1 mi from Orange, CA · 29m into the drive

city ​​in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Diamond Bar, CA

23 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.

Popular next leg

Diamond Bar, CA to Fontana, CA

26.5 mi · 32m

Pacing Suggestions

Fullerton, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Pomona, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.1 miles from Orange, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Fontana, CA

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Fontana, CA if you are unfamiliar with the area.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.62 one way

$21.24 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $10.94 $21.88
premium $6.18 $11.24 $22.47
diesel $5.61 $10.20 $20.40

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.9 0 $4.85 $2.22
Efficient EV 11.6 0 $4.04 $1.85
EV Truck/SUV 18.5 0 $6.47 $2.96

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Orange, CA

Late night in Orange on Friday

Local time

1:59 AM

PDT

Current temp

55°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Fontana, CA

Late night in Fontana on Friday

Local time

1:59 AM

PDT

Current temp

76°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

21 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

56m 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 Orange, CA to Fontana, CA covers 46.2 miles and takes about 56m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Orange Freeway, San Bernardino Freeway, I-10 Metro ExpressLanes. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 23.1 miles from Orange, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $10.62 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 short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 46.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.

The main spots that need attention: at 18.8 miles (CA 57): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 22 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Orange, CA and Fontana, CA, road signs point toward San Bernardino and Ontario Airport.

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. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Orange, CA or browse trips ending in Fontana, CA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.