Origin
Santa Ana, CA
Morning in Santa Ana on Monday
Local time
10:30 AM
PDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Ana, CA to McKinleyville, CA
Drive Time
13h 21m
Distance
715.7 mi
1,152 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$166
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
13h 9m
★
6 AM
13h 21m
8 AM
13h 45m
10 AM
13h 30m
12 PM
13h 27m
3 PM
13h 31m
5 PM
13h 44m
8 PM
13h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Ana, CA
Abhishek Navlakha
McKinleyville, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
The drive from Santa Ana, CA to McKinleyville, CA covers 715.7 miles and takes about 13h 21m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on North Broadway, West Santa Clara Avenue, I 5 North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $165.74 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
357.8 miles from Santa Ana, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 6h 40m into the drive .
Drive Character
At 715.7 miles and 13h 21m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are North Broadway and West Santa Clara Avenue.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Broadway is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
At 13h 21m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. A moderate number of decision points keep you engaged without being stressful.
Route Complexity
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 715.7 miles you will encounter 0 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?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Santa Ana, CA to McKinleyville, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Broadway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| West Santa Clara Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 5 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Santa Ana Freeway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Golden State Freeway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 5 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Westside Freeway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Cascade Wonderland Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
North Broadway
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Ana, CA and McKinleyville, CA.
1
Start on West 1st Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West 1st Street
2
Turn right onto North Broadway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
3
Turn right onto West Santa Clara Avenue
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
West Santa Clara Avenue
4
Continue on I 5 North: Los Angeles
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
I 5 North: Los Angeles
5
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
6
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
7
Keep slight right to continue on Golden State Freeway
25 mi
·
29 min
·
Golden State Freeway
8
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden State Freeway
9
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
10
Keep slight left
36 mi
·
41 min
11
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
22 mi
·
25 min
·
Golden State Freeway
12
Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway
226 mi
·
4 hr 1 min
·
Westside Freeway
13
Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway
26 mi
·
27 min
·
Westside Freeway
14
Keep left to continue on Westside Freeway
54 mi
·
59 min
·
Westside Freeway
15
Keep slight left to continue on Westside Freeway
121 mi
·
2 hr 10 min
·
Westside Freeway
16
Continue on Cascade Wonderland Highway
32 mi
·
34 min
·
Cascade Wonderland Highway
17
Take the exit slight right toward CA 44: Eureka, Susanville
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
CA 44: Eureka, Susanville
18
Keep slight left to continue on CA 44 West: Eureka, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
CA 44 West: Eureka, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
19
Merge slight left
1.2 mi
·
1 min
20
Turn right onto Pine Street
489 ft
·
18 sec
·
Pine Street
21
Turn left onto Eureka Way
25 mi
·
29 min
·
Eureka Way
22
Continue straight
110 mi
·
2 hr 9 min
23
Take the exit slight right
0.6 mi
·
1 min
24
Keep slight left to continue on North Bank Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
North Bank Road
25
Turn right onto Central Avenue
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Central Avenue
26
Turn right
85 ft
·
9 sec
27
Turn right
56 ft
·
9 sec
28
Turn left
13 ft
·
1 sec
29
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.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 357.8 miles from Santa Ana, CA, or about 6h 40m into the drive.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 157 miles or 2h 55m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 357.8 miles or 6h 40m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 357.8 miles or 6h 40m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 12h 14m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near McKinleyville, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Santa Ana, 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.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Santa Ana, CA
Aim for roughly 358 miles and 6.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into McKinleyville, CA
Aim for roughly 358 miles and 6.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 157 miles from Santa Ana, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 357.8 mi from Santa Ana, CA · 6h 40m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
236 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
472 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Red Bluff, CAOvernight Options
Night 1
358 mi · about 6.7h in
A practical overnight split lands near Red Bluff, CA after about 358 miles or 6.7 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 157 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 357.8 miles from Santa Ana, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 358 miles or 6.7 hours on the road.
Final-third reset
Rest stopPlan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.
Arriving in McKinleyville, CA
The final approach into McKinleyville, 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 McKinleyville, CA.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach McKinleyville, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$165.74 one way
$331.48 round trip
$5.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
250 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.07 | $170.92 | $341.85 |
| premium | $6.24 | $175.91 | $351.82 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $159.00 | $318.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$166
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$296–$406
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 250.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $75 in charging · 2 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 214.7 | 2 | $75.15 | $34.35 |
| Efficient EV | 178.9 | 2 | $62.62 | $28.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 286.3 | 3 | $100.20 | $45.80 |
Gas CO2
250 kg
EV CO2
84 kg (66% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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
McKinleyville, CA
Morning in McKinleyville on Monday
Local time
10:30 AM
PDT
Current temp
45°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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
30 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
13h 21m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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 McKinleyville, CA covers 715.7 miles and takes about 13h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Broadway, West Santa Clara Avenue, I 5 North. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 358 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 357.8 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 $165.74 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 715.7 miles you will encounter 0 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Santa Ana, CA to McKinleyville, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Santa Ana, CA to McKinleyville, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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