Origin
Rohnert Park, CA
Night in Rohnert Park on Friday
Local time
9:47 PM
PDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
7h 20m
Distance
467.4 mi
752 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$107
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rohnert Park, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Irvine, CA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Rohnert Park, CA to Irvine, CA covers 467.4 miles and takes about 7h 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Almond Street, Southwest Boulevard, Commerce Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $107.43 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
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
233.7 miles from Rohnert Park, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 40m into the drive .
Irvine is a city of 308,000 people (2020) in Orange County, California. Irvine is one of the newest and largest cities in Orange County, and it is still growing. The city is a perfectly planned suburbia. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 1971.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 7h 20m. Total distance: 467.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
7h 20m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Expect a 7h 20m drive with frequent turns across 467.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
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.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 7h 20m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Rohnert Park, CA to Irvine, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Almond Street | — | — |
| Southwest Boulevard | — | — |
| Commerce Boulevard | — | — |
| Old Redwood Highway | — | — |
| West Sierra Avenue | — | — |
| US 101 South | — | — |
| Redwood Highway | — | — |
| John T | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Step-by-step road directions between Rohnert Park, CA and Irvine, CA.
Start on Alta Avenue
Turn left onto Almond Street
Turn right onto Southwest Boulevard
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Commerce Boulevard
Exit the roundabout onto Commerce Boulevard
At the end of the road, turn left onto Old Redwood Highway
Turn right onto West Sierra Avenue
Take the ramp left toward US 101 South: San Francisco
Merge slight left onto Redwood Highway
Keep slight right to continue on John T. Knox Freeway
Merge slight left onto Eastshore Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on Interstate Highway 80
Keep slight left to continue on MacArthur Freeway
Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway
Keep slight right
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on I 405 South
Keep slight left
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
Keep slight left
Keep slight left to continue on I 5 South
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Merge slight left onto Costa Mesa Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward I 405 South: John Wayne Airport
Keep slight left to continue on I 405 South
Merge slight left onto San Diego Freeway
Arrive at your destination
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 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 103 miles or 1h 37m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 233.7 miles or 3h 40m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 24m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Irvine, CA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Rohnert Park, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Rohnert Park, CA
This is one driving day of about 467.4 miles and 7h 20m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 233.7 mi from Rohnert Park, CA · 3h 40m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
234 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.
A short stop after about 103 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 233.7 miles from Rohnert Park, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
The final approach into Irvine, 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 Irvine, CA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$107.43 one way
$214.86 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $110.70 | $221.41 |
| premium | $6.18 | $113.67 | $227.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $103.20 | $206.39 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$107
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$132–$157
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 163.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $49 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 140.2 | 1 | $49.08 | $22.44 |
| Efficient EV | 116.9 | 1 | $40.90 | $18.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 187 | 2 | $65.44 | $29.91 |
Gas CO2
164 kg
EV CO2
55 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Rohnert Park on Friday
Local time
9:47 PM
PDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Destination
Night in Irvine on Friday
Local time
9:47 PM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
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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