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Trip from Santa Ana, CA to Cherry Valley, CA

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

Drive Time

1h 24m

Distance

68.3 mi

110 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$16

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 18m ★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 20m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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county seat and city of Orange County, California, United States

Santa Ana, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Cherry Valley, CA, CA

Cherry Valley, CA

Pham Ngoc Anh

Trip Overview

The drive from Santa Ana, CA to Cherry Valley, CA covers 68.3 miles and takes about 1h 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Riverside Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, Costa Mesa Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 36.9 miles on Riverside Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.70 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 68.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 24m highway drive covering 68.3 miles, with most of the trip on Riverside Freeway and Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 36.9 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 15 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 36.9 miles.

Elevation Profile

Gently rolling terrain

2,824 ft 113 ft

Total Climb

2,711 ft

Total Descent

0 ft

Highest Point

2,824 ft

~68.3 mi in

Elevation Range

2,711 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 68.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 46.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

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

7
2.4 mi into trip | ~4m in

Turn left toward CA 55 North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward CA 55 North
6
4.1 mi into trip | ~6m in | CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
46.3 mi into trip | ~55m in

Take the exit toward I 10 East: Redlands

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 40A Toward I 10 East: Redlands
7
64.4 mi into trip | ~1h 16m in

Take the exit toward Cherry Valley Boulevard

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 90 Toward Cherry Valley Boulevard
6
68 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in | Beaumont Avenue

Turn left onto Beaumont Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Riverside Freeway 36.9 mi 42m
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway 17.4 mi 19m
Costa Mesa Freeway 6.8 mi 7m
Cherry Valley Boulevard 3.4 mi 6m
East 4th Street 1.1 mi 2m
West 1st Street 1 mi 2m
Beaumont Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Grand Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Riverside Freeway — 36.9 mi, about 42m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Santa Ana, CA and Cherry Valley, CA.

1

Start on West 1st Street

260 ft · 10 sec · West 1st Street
2

Continue on West 1st Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · West 1st Street
Use the left lane.
3

Turn left onto Grand Avenue

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Grand Avenue
4

Turn right onto East 4th Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · East 4th Street
Use the right lane.
5

Continue on Irvine Boulevard

406 ft · 13 sec · Irvine Boulevard
6

Turn left

0.3 mi · 23 sec
Toward CA 55 North Use the left lane.
7

Merge onto CA 55

1.4 mi · 1 min · Costa Mesa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55

5.3 mi · 6 min · Costa Mesa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Merge onto CA 91

37 mi · 42 min · Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 40A Toward I 10 East: Redlands Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto I 10

17 mi · 19 min · Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 37 sec
Exit 90 Toward Cherry Valley Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn left onto Cherry Valley Boulevard

3.4 mi · 6 min · Cherry Valley Boulevard
14

Turn left onto Beaumont Avenue

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Beaumont Avenue
Use the left lane.
15

Arrive at destination

Beaumont Avenue

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 34.1 mi from Santa Ana, CA · 41m into the drive

city in Riverside County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Corona, CA

34 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

Orange, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Riverside, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 34.1 miles from Santa Ana, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Cherry Valley, CA

The final approach into Cherry Valley, 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

$15.70 one way

$31.40 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 24 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $16.18 $32.35
premium $6.18 $16.61 $33.22
diesel $5.61 $15.08 $30.16

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$16

Estimated CO2 emission: 23.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 20.5 0 $7.17 $3.28
Efficient EV 17.1 0 $5.98 $2.73
EV Truck/SUV 27.3 0 $9.56 $4.37

Gas CO2

24 kg

EV CO2

8 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.

Forecast as of Apr 13, 2026

Origin

Santa Ana, CA

Late night in Santa Ana on Saturday

Local time

2:00 AM

PDT

Current temp

54°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

SW 0 to 10 mph 24% chance Live forecast

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 13 at 12:17AM PDT until April 13 at 7:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 13 at 12:17AM PDT until April 13 at 7:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Destination

Cherry Valley, CA

Late night in Cherry Valley on Saturday

Local time

2:00 AM

PDT

Current temp

67°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

13 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

1h 24m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Santa Ana, CA to Cherry Valley, CA covers 68.3 miles and takes about 1h 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Riverside Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, Costa Mesa 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 34.1 miles from Santa Ana, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.70 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 68.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 46.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Santa Ana, CA to Cherry Valley, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Gently rolling terrain. The route ranges from 113 ft to 2,824 ft elevation with about 2,711 ft of total climbing.

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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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