Origin
San Diego, CA
Morning in San Diego on Saturday
Local time
10:48 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Diego, CA to Woodlake, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6h
Distance
305.9 mi
492 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$70
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
5h 47m
★
6 AM
6h 0m
8 AM
6h 26m
10 AM
6h 9m
12 PM
6h 7m
3 PM
6h 11m
5 PM
6h 25m
8 PM
5h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Diego, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Woodlake, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from San Diego, CA to Woodlake, CA covers 305.9 miles and takes about 6h behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on West Broadway, 1st Avenue, I 5 North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $70.31 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
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
153 miles from San Diego, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Broadway | — | — |
| 1st Avenue | — | — |
| I 5 North | — | — |
| San Diego Freeway | — | — |
| Bake Parkway | — | — |
| Jamboree Road | — | — |
| El Camino Real | — | — |
| Newport Avenue | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
West Broadway
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Diego, CA and Woodlake, CA.
1
Start on Front Street
26 ft
·
6 sec
·
Front Street
2
Turn left onto West Broadway
289 ft
·
12 sec
·
West Broadway
3
Turn left onto 1st Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
1st Avenue
4
Take the ramp left toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
I 5 North: Los Angeles
5
Merge slight left onto San Diego Freeway
13 mi
·
15 min
·
San Diego Freeway
6
Keep slight left to continue on San Diego Freeway
36 mi
·
43 min
·
San Diego Freeway
7
Keep slight right to continue on San Diego Freeway
18 mi
·
20 min
·
San Diego Freeway
8
Keep slight left to continue on San Diego Freeway
7.4 mi
·
8 min
·
San Diego Freeway
9
Keep slight right to continue on Bake Parkway
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Bake Parkway
10
Keep slight right
6.0 mi
·
6 min
11
Take the exit slight right toward Jamboree Road
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Jamboree Road
12
Continue straight
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
13
Turn right onto Jamboree Road
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Jamboree Road
14
Turn left onto El Camino Real
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
El Camino Real
15
Turn left onto Newport Avenue
358 ft
·
14 sec
·
Newport Avenue
16
Take the ramp right toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
I 5 North: Los Angeles
17
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
18
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
19
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
9.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
20
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
21
Keep slight right to continue on Golden State Freeway
25 mi
·
29 min
·
Golden State Freeway
22
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden State Freeway
23
Keep slight right to continue on I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
24
Keep slight left
36 mi
·
41 min
25
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
22 mi
·
25 min
·
Golden State Freeway
26
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
27 mi
·
30 min
·
Golden State Freeway
27
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Golden State Freeway
28
Take the exit slight right toward CA 65: Porterville, Sequoia National Park
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
CA 65: Porterville, Sequoia National Park
29
Continue on Porterville Highway
55 mi
·
1 hr 3 min
·
Porterville Highway
30
Turn right onto North Spruce Avenue
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
North Spruce Avenue
31
Continue on South Spruce Road
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
South Spruce Road
32
Continue on Road 204
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Road 204
33
Turn right onto Avenue 314
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Avenue 314
34
Continue on Road 212
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Road 212
35
Continue on South Valencia Boulevard
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Valencia Boulevard
36
Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward East Naranjo Boulevard
16 ft
·
East Naranjo Boulevard
37
Exit the roundabout onto East Naranjo Boulevard
16 ft
·
East Naranjo Boulevard
38
Arrive at your destination
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 153 miles from San Diego, CA, or about 3h into the drive.
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 67 miles or 1h 18m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 153 miles or 3h in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 55m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Woodlake, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving San Diego, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from San Diego, CA
This is one driving day of about 305.9 miles and 6h.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 67 miles from San Diego, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
153 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 67 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 153 miles from San Diego, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$70.31 one way
$140.62 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
107 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $72.45 | $144.91 |
| premium | $6.18 | $74.39 | $148.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $67.54 | $135.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$70
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$95–$120
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 107 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $32 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 91.8 | 1 | $32.12 | $14.68 |
| Efficient EV | 76.5 | 0 | $26.77 | $12.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 122.4 | 1 | $42.83 | $19.58 |
Gas CO2
107 kg
EV CO2
36 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Woodlake, CA
Morning in Woodlake on Saturday
Local time
10:48 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
18 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
6h on the road
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.
What kind of drive is this?
305.9 mi in 6h across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
38 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: West Broadway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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.
Driving Effort
3/10
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 6h, 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 San Diego, CA to Woodlake, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Starting in San Diego, CA
Full guide →Founded 1769
From balmy beaches with a laid-back attitude to a gleaming modern image, San Diego offers much for the tourist to enjoy. Situated on the Southern California seacoast, San Diego is the second largest city in the state, with 1.4 million residents (2020), and has long attracted travelers for its ideal climate, miles of beaches, and location on the Mexican border right across from Tijuana. But there's much more here than surfer culture and a quick hop across the border. A rich maritime and military heritage lives on in San Diego, which is home to the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy. The city has also become known for its part in the wildlife conservation movement, owing to the presence of the world-renowned San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Natural scenery abounds from rocky tidepools and seaside cliffs to desert hills and canyons inland.
Top landmarks
- • Balboa Park — historic park in San Diego, California
- • Cabrillo National Monument — National Monument of the United States and historic district
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 6h. Total distance: 305.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Woodlake, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Diego, CA to Woodlake, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.0 hours each way, a round trip means 12.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Woodlake, CA before the return drive.
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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