The drive from Pine Hills, CA to Santa Ana, CA covers 675.3 miles and takes about 12h 59m behind the wheel.
It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Redwood Highway, Westside Freeway, I 5 Truck for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is long-distance drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 244.6 miles on Redwood Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $155.21 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
337.6 miles from Pine Hills, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 6h 45m into the drive
.
Drive Character
At 675.3 miles and 12h 59m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Redwood Highway and Westside Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 31 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Redwood Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 244.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
At 12h 59m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 253.2 miles in near I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 25 significant decision points across 675.3 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 253.2 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 270.5 miles (I 580 / Interstate Highway 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 270.8 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 25 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
9
253.2 mi into trip|~5h 7m in|I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway toward I 580: Richmond Bridge, Oakland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 451B
Toward I 580: Richmond Bridge, Oakland
8
270.5 mi into trip|~5h 29m in|I 580 / Interstate Highway 80
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580 / Interstate Highway 80 toward I 580 East, I 880 South: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockton, Alameda, San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 580 East, I 880 South: Downtown Oaklan...
8
270.8 mi into trip|~5h 29m in|I 580 / MacArthur Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580 / MacArthur Freeway toward I 580: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockton
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 580: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockt...
8
620.3 mi into trip|~11h 53m in|I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 405 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 158
Toward I 405 South
8
645.3 mi into trip|~12h 22m in|I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Street, Santa Ana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Stre...
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Pine Hills, CA and Santa Ana, CA, road signs point toward Oakland, Hayward, Stockton, Alameda and San Jose.
Oakland
253.2 mi in|~5h 7m|via I 580
Hayward
270.5 mi in|~5h 29m|via I 580
Stockton
270.5 mi in|~5h 29m|via I 580
Alameda
270.5 mi in|~5h 29m|via I 580
San Jose
270.5 mi in|~5h 29m|via I 580
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Redwood Highway
244.6 mi
4h 55m
Westside Freeway
224.4 mi
4h
I 5 Truck
83.3 mi
1h 36m
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
29.3 mi
33m
Santa Ana Freeway
26 mi
30m
William Elton Brown Freeway
17 mi
18m
MacArthur Freeway
16.4 mi
18m
John T. Knox Freeway
13.6 mi
17m
Longest stretch:
Redwood Highway
— 244.6 mi, about 4h 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pine Hills, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Walnut Drive
179 ft·3 sec·Walnut Drive
2
Continue on Ridgewood Drive
1.3 mi·2 min·Ridgewood Drive
3
Continue on Elk River Road
1.6 mi·2 min·Elk River Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto Herrick Avenue
0.1 mi·20 sec·Herrick Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·22 sec
6
Merge onto US 101
128 mi·2 hr 37 min·Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on US 101
5.4 mi·6 min·Willits Bypass
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on US 101; CA 20
116 mi·2 hr 18 min·Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
14 mi·17 min·John T. Knox Freeway
Exit 451BToward I 580: Richmond Bridge, OaklandUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 80; I 580
3.8 mi·4 min·Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
0.3 mi·21 sec·Interstate Highway 80
Toward I 580 East, I 880 South: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockton, Alameda, San JoseUse the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
16 mi·18 min·MacArthur Freeway
Toward I 580: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, StocktonUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto I 580
12 mi·13 min·Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
18 mi·20 min·Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
11 mi·11 min·William Elton Brown Freeway
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
5.9 mi·6 min·William Elton Brown Freeway
17
Merge onto I 5
224 mi·4 hr·Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
58 mi·1 hr 6 min·I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
4.1 mi·4 min·Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
0.3 mi·17 sec·I 5 Truck
Exit 158Toward I 405 SouthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck
25 mi·29 min·I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
1.3 mi·1 min·Golden State Freeway
Toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Street, Santa AnaUse the slight left / straight lanes.
23
Merge onto I 5
26 mi·30 min·Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.2 mi·16 sec·Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Take the exit
0.8 mi·57 sec
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa AnaUse the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi·21 sec
Toward Main Street North, BroadwayUse the straight / slight right lanes.
27
Turn straight onto North Broadway
1.3 mi·2 min·North Broadway
Use the left lane.
28
Turn left onto West 5th Street
0.1 mi·16 sec·West 5th Street
Use the left lane.
29
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi·30 sec·North Main Street
Use the right lane.
30
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft·1 sec·West 1st Street
Use the right lane.
31
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 337.6 miles from Pine Hills, CA, or about 6h 45m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 244.6 miles.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 149 miles or 3h 3m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 337.6 miles or 6h 45m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 337.6 miles or 6h 45m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 11h 47m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Santa Ana, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Pine Hills, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Pine Hills, CA
Aim for roughly 338 miles and 6.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Santa Ana, CA
Aim for roughly 338 miles and 6.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 149 miles from Pine Hills, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Redwood Highway for about 244.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 337.6 mi from Pine Hills, CA
· 6h 45m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Celebrate and honor the contributions and sacrifices of American civilians on the WWII home front. Discover how diverse communities lived, worked, and interacted. Many faces, many stories, many truths...
6 mi from route
~16 min detour
Free
near mile 256.1
Walk among old growth coast redwoods, cooling their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lifting their crowns to reach the sun and fog. Federally protected as a National Monument since 1908,...
7 mi from route
~17 min detour
$15
near mile 256.1
Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species. Go for a hike, enjoy a vista, have a picnic or learn about the centuries of overlapping history f...
9 mi from route
~23 min detour
Free
near mile 256.1
Established in 1988, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park celebrates America’s maritime heritage on the Pacific Coast. Our 50-acre park has grown around Aquatic Park Cove, a protected area...
9 mi from route
~24 min detour
Free
near mile 256.1
From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches to its open grasslands, brushy hillsides, and forested ridges, Point Reyes offers visitors over 1500 spec...
19 mi from route
~47 min detour
Free
near mile 232.9
On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion jolted the San Francisco East Bay area, shattering windows and lighting up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were killed instantly when two s...
21 mi from route
~52 min detour
Free
near mile 279.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$155.21 one way
$310.43 round trip
$5.84/gal25.4 MPG avg236 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$6.02
$159.95
$319.89
premium
$6.18
$164.23
$328.45
diesel
$5.61
$149.10
$298.20
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$155
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$285–$395
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 236.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $71 in charging
· 2 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
202.6
2
$70.91
$32.41
Efficient EV
168.8
1
$59.09
$27.01
EV Truck/SUV
270.1
3
$94.54
$43.22
Gas CO2
236 kg
EV CO2
79 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 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.
Forecast as of Apr 14, 2026
Origin
Pine Hills, CA
Late night
in Pine Hills on Friday
Local time
1:10 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Santa Ana, CA
Late night
in Santa Ana on Friday
Local time
1:10 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
68°F
Hayward, CA
446 mi in
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
17 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
12h 59m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Pine Hills, CA to Santa Ana, CA covers 675.3 miles and takes about 12h 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Redwood Highway, Westside Freeway, I 5 Truck. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 338 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 337.6 miles from Pine Hills, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $155.21 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 25 significant decision points across 675.3 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 253.2 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 270.5 miles (I 580 / Interstate Highway 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 270.8 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Pine Hills, CA and Santa Ana, CA, road signs point toward Oakland, Hayward, Stockton, Alameda and San Jose.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, Muir Woods National Monument and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.
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.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
