Origin
Ridgecrest, CA
Late night in Ridgecrest on Friday
Local time
3:25 AM
PDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ridgecrest, CA to Searles, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
20.4 mi
33 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ridgecrest, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Searles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
The drive from Ridgecrest, CA to Searles, CA covers 20.4 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Trona Road, Randsburg Wash Road, Searles Station Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.5 miles on Trona Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.69 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 20.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (8%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 38m drive with frequent turns across 20.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 6 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Trona Road is the longest continuous segment at about 9.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 4.2 miles in near Randsburg Wash Road.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Ridgecrest, CA to Searles, CA is easy. At 38m with 8% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.2 miles (Randsburg Wash Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.3 miles (Trona Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles (Searles Station Road): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
3 of 3 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
4.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Randsburg Wash Road
Turn right onto Randsburg Wash Road
Navigation decision point
4
8.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Trona Road
Turn right onto Trona Road
Navigation decision point
3
17.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Searles Station Road
Turn right onto Searles Station Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Trona Road | 9.5 mi | 16m |
| Randsburg Wash Road | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Searles Station Road | 2.6 mi | 10m |
| West Ridgecrest Boulevard | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| CA 178 | 1.7 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Trona Road
— 9.5 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ridgecrest, CA and Searles, CA.
1
Start on West Ridgecrest Boulevard
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
West Ridgecrest Boulevard
2
Continue on CA 178
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
CA 178
3
Turn right onto Randsburg Wash Road
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Randsburg Wash Road
4
Turn right onto Trona Road
9.5 mi
·
16 min
·
Trona Road
5
Turn right onto Searles Station Road
2.6 mi
·
10 min
·
Searles Station Road
6
Arrive at destination
Searles Station Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.69 one way
$9.38 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.83 | $9.66 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.96 | $9.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.50 | $9.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.14 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Searles, CA
Late night in Searles on Friday
Local time
3:25 AM
PDT
Current temp
51°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
24 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
38m 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 Ridgecrest, CA to Searles, CA covers 20.4 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Trona Road, Randsburg Wash Road, Searles Station Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.2 miles from Ridgecrest, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.69 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.
The drive from Ridgecrest, CA to Searles, CA is easy. At 38m with 8% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.2 miles (Randsburg Wash Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.3 miles (Trona Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles (Searles Station Road): Navigation decision point.
The route from Ridgecrest, CA to Searles, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Searles, CA
Explore more options from Ridgecrest, CA or browse trips ending in Searles, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.