Origin
Ricardo, CA
Afternoon in Ricardo on Friday
Local time
12:30 PM
PDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ricardo, CA to California City, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
17.8 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ricardo, CA
Efrem Efre
California City, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Ricardo, CA to California City, CA covers 17.8 miles and takes about 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Neuralia Road, Midland Trail, Abbott Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.9 miles on Neuralia Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.09 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 17.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 30m drive with frequent turns across 17.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 7 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Neuralia Road is the longest continuous segment at about 12.9 miles.
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. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near CA 14; US 6 Hist / Midland Trail.
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 30m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (CA 14; US 6 Hist / Midland Trail): Navigation decision point; at 4.8 miles (Neuralia Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 17.7 miles: Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
4 of 4 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CA 14; US 6 Hist / Midland Trail
Turn right onto CA 14; US 6 Hist / Midland Trail
Navigation decision point
5
4.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
Neuralia Road
Turn sharp right onto Neuralia Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
4
17.7 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
7
17.7 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
California City Boulevard
Turn uturn onto California City Boulevard
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Neuralia Road | 12.9 mi | 22m |
| Midland Trail | 4 mi | 4m |
| Abbott Drive | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Redrock Randsburg Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| California City Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Neuralia Road
— 12.9 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ricardo, CA and California City, CA.
1
Start on Abbott Drive
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Abbott Drive
2
Turn right onto CA 14; US 6 Hist
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Midland Trail
3
Continue on 797
348 ft
·
11 sec
·
Redrock Randsburg Road
4
Turn sharp right onto Neuralia Road
13 mi
·
22 min
·
Neuralia Road
5
Turn right
66 ft
·
6 sec
6
Turn uturn onto California City Boulevard
94 ft
·
7 sec
·
California City Boulevard
7
Arrive at destination
California City Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.09 one way
$8.18 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.22 | $8.43 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.33 | $8.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.93 | $7.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Destination
California City, CA
Afternoon in California City on Friday
Local time
12:30 PM
PDT
Current temp
72°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
7 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
30m 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 Ricardo, CA to California City, CA covers 17.8 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Neuralia Road, Midland Trail, Abbott Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.9 miles from Ricardo, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.09 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 straightforward 30m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (CA 14; US 6 Hist / Midland Trail): Navigation decision point; at 4.8 miles (Neuralia Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 17.7 miles: Navigation decision point.
The route from Ricardo, CA to California City, 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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