Origin
Santa Fe Springs, CA
Afternoon in Santa Fe Springs on Saturday
Local time
1:19 PM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Fontana, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
45.3 mi
73 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Fe Springs, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Fontana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Fontana, CA covers 45.3 miles and takes about 54m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on San Bernardino Freeway, San Gabriel River Freeway, I-10 Metro ExpressLanes for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.9 miles on San Bernardino Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.41 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino Freeway | 23.9 mi | 27m |
| San Gabriel River Freeway | 9.3 mi | 10m |
| I-10 Metro ExpressLanes | 9 mi | 9m |
| Sierra Avenue | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Telegraph Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Merrill Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Bernardino Freeway
— 23.9 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Fe Springs, CA and Fontana, CA.
1
Start on Telegraph Road
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
Telegraph Road
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 605 North
3
Merge onto I 605
9.3 mi
·
10 min
·
San Gabriel River Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 10 West, I 10 East: Los Angeles, San Bernardino
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino
Use the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 10
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 EXPR
9.0 mi
·
9 min
·
I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
Use the slight left lane.
16
Merge onto I 10
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
17
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 64
Toward Sierra Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork
448 ft
·
12 sec
Toward Sierra Avenue North
Use the left lane.
19
Turn slight left onto Sierra Avenue
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Sierra Avenue
Use the left lane.
20
Turn right onto Merrill Avenue
205 ft
·
4 sec
·
Merrill Avenue
21
Arrive at destination
Merrill Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.7 miles from Santa Fe Springs, 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 9.9 and 43.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
9.9 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward I 10 West, I 10 East: Los Angeles, San Bernardino
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 10 West, I 10 East: Los Angeles, San B...
7
10.1 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 East: San Bernardino
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino
6
11.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
43.3 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Take the exit toward Sierra Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 64
Toward Sierra Avenue
8
43.5 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Sierra Avenue North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward Sierra Avenue North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.41 one way
$20.82 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.73 | $21.46 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.02 | $22.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.00 | $20.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.17 |
| Efficient EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.96 | $1.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.1 | 0 | $6.34 | $2.90 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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.
Destination
Fontana, CA
Afternoon in Fontana on Saturday
Local time
1:19 PM
PDT
Current temp
76°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
4 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
54m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
45.3 mi in 54m, mostly highway — 23.9 mi of that is on San Bernardino Freeway.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.9 mi on San Bernardino Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Bernardino Freeway and San Gabriel River Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 9.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 19 decision points packed into just 45.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,235 ft
134 ft
Total Climb
1,380 ft
Total Descent
279 ft
Highest Point
1,235 ft
~45.3 mi in
Elevation Range
1,101 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Fontana, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Bernardino along the way.
San Bernardino
9.9 mi in
|
~12m
About the Cities
Arriving in Fontana, CA
Full guide →Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
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 54m. Total distance: 45.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.9 miles on San Bernardino Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Fontana, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fontana, CA before heading back.
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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