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Trip from San Bernardino, CA to Lawndale, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 28m

Distance

73.5 mi

118 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$17

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 22m ★
6 AM
1h 28m
8 AM
1h 42m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 32m
3 PM
1h 34m
5 PM
1h 41m
8 PM
1h 24m

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

Downtown Lawndale, CA, CA

Lawndale, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

The drive from San Bernardino, CA to Lawndale, CA covers 73.5 miles and takes about 1h 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Riverside Freeway, CA 91, Artesia Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 29.3 miles on Riverside Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.89 one way before food or hotel costs.

About the Cities

Starting in San Bernardino, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1854

San Bernardino is a city in the Inland Empire in California. It is the site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand

Top landmarks

  • San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot — railway station in San Bernardino, the United States of America
  • California Theatre of the Performing Arts — theater and performing arts center in San Bernardino, California
  • San Bernardino County Court House — courthouse in San Bernardino, United States of America

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 28m. Total distance: 73.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 28m highway drive covering 73.5 miles, with most of the trip on Riverside Freeway and CA 91. The longest continuous stretch is about 29.3 miles on Riverside Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Riverside Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 29.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and CA 91. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.5 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.2 miles (CA 91 / Riverside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

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

7
0.8 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 215 South: Riverside

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 215 South: Riverside
7
24.2 mi into trip | ~29m in

Take the exit toward Main Street

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 50 Toward Main Street
6
41.2 mi into trip | ~48m in | CA 91 / Riverside Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto CA 91 / Riverside Freeway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane.
7
72 mi into trip | ~1h 25m in

Take the ramp toward I 405 North: Santa Monica, San Diego Freeway

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward I 405 North: Santa Monica, San Diego Fre...
7
72.8 mi into trip | ~1h 26m in

Take the exit toward CA 107: Hawthorne Boulevard

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 42A Toward CA 107: Hawthorne Boulevard

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Riverside Freeway 29.3 mi 33m
CA 91 16.7 mi 19m
Artesia Freeway 13.2 mi 15m
Gardena Freeway 5.5 mi 6m
San Bernardino Freeway 3.1 mi 3m
West Artesia Boulevard 2.9 mi 4m
West 5th Street 0.8 mi 1m
San Diego Freeway 0.7 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Riverside Freeway — 29.3 mi, about 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between San Bernardino, CA and Lawndale, CA.

1

Start on West 5th Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · West 5th Street
2

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward I 215 South: Riverside Use the left lane.
3

Merge onto I 215

3.1 mi · 3 min · San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4

Continue on I 215

5.3 mi · 6 min · Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Continue on CA 91

15 mi · 17 min · Riverside Freeway
Exit 34B Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 20 sec
Exit 50 Toward Main Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on CA 91

17 mi · 19 min · CA 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight right at fork onto CA 91

9.2 mi · 10 min · Riverside Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
9

Continue on CA 91

13 mi · 15 min · Artesia Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Continue on CA 91

5.5 mi · 6 min · Gardena Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on West Artesia Boulevard

2.9 mi · 4 min · West Artesia Boulevard
12

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 16 sec
Toward I 405 North: Santa Monica, San Diego Freeway Use the right lane.
13

Merge onto I 405

0.7 mi · 46 sec · San Diego Freeway
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 33 sec
Exit 42A Toward CA 107: Hawthorne Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Turn right onto Hawthorne Boulevard

0.2 mi · 16 sec · Hawthorne Boulevard
Use the left / right lanes.
16

Turn left onto Manhattan Beach Boulevard

0.1 mi · 23 sec · Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Use the left / uturn lanes.
17

Continue on Manhattan Beach Boulevard

0.1 mi · 21 sec · Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Use the left lane.
18

Arrive at destination

Manhattan Beach Boulevard

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 36.8 mi from San Bernardino, CA · 43m into the drive

city in Orange County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Orange, CA

37 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Riverside, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Orange, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 36.8 miles from San Bernardino, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Lawndale, CA

The final approach into Lawndale, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$16.89 one way

$33.79 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 26 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $17.41 $34.82
premium $6.18 $17.87 $35.75
diesel $5.61 $16.23 $32.46

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$17

Estimated CO2 emission: 25.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 22.1 0 $7.72 $3.53
Efficient EV 18.4 0 $6.43 $2.94
EV Truck/SUV 29.4 0 $10.29 $4.70

Gas CO2

26 kg

EV CO2

9 kg (65% 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

San Bernardino, CA

Late night in San Bernardino on Saturday

Local time

4:24 AM

PDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Lawndale, CA

Late night in Lawndale on Saturday

Local time

4:24 AM

PDT

Current temp

68°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

9 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

1h 28m 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 San Bernardino, CA to Lawndale, CA covers 73.5 miles and takes about 1h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Riverside Freeway, CA 91, Artesia Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 36.8 miles from San Bernardino, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.89 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.5 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.2 miles (CA 91 / Riverside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from San Bernardino, CA to Lawndale, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Lawndale, CA to San Bernardino, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

73.6 mi 1h 28m

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