Origin
Santa Fe Springs, CA
Late night in Santa Fe Springs on Saturday
Local time
2:09 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Riverside, 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
48.6 mi
78 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
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
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Riverside, CA covers 48.6 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 Telegraph Road, Pioneer Boulevard, Imperial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.17 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 48.6 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 (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 54m drive with frequent turns across 48.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Telegraph Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Riverside, CA is easy. At 54m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Riverside, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Telegraph Road | — | — |
| Pioneer Boulevard | — | — |
| Imperial Highway | — | — |
| I 5 South | — | — |
| Santa Ana Freeway | — | — |
| CA 91 East | — | — |
| Riverside Freeway | — | — |
| Madison Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Telegraph Road
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Fe Springs, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on Telegraph Road
121 ft
·
9 sec
·
Telegraph Road
2
Continue on Telegraph Road
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
Telegraph Road
3
Turn right onto Pioneer Boulevard
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Pioneer Boulevard
4
Turn left onto Imperial Highway
509 ft
·
18 sec
·
Imperial Highway
5
Turn right onto I 5 South: Los Angeles
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
I 5 South: Los Angeles
6
Continue on I 5 South: Santa Ana
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
I 5 South: Santa Ana
7
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
8
Take the exit slight right toward CA 91 East: Riverside
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
CA 91 East: Riverside
9
Merge slight left onto Riverside Freeway
8.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Riverside Freeway
10
Keep slight right to continue on Riverside Freeway
26 mi
·
30 min
·
Riverside Freeway
11
Take the exit slight right toward Madison Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Madison Street
12
Turn left onto Madison Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Madison Street
13
Turn right onto Magnolia Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Magnolia Avenue
14
Turn right
102 ft
·
8 sec
15
At the end of the road, turn left
180 ft
·
13 sec
16
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24.3 mi from Santa Fe Springs, CA · 27m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.3 miles from Santa Fe Springs, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Riverside, CA
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Riverside, CA if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.17 one way
$22.34 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.51 | $23.02 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.82 | $23.64 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.73 | $21.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 17 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
| Efficient EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.25 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.80 | $3.11 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Destination
Riverside, CA
Late night in Riverside on Saturday
Local time
2:09 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°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
20 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
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Riverside, CA covers 48.6 miles and takes about 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Telegraph Road, Pioneer Boulevard, Imperial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 24.3 miles from Santa Fe Springs, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.17 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.
The drive from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Riverside, CA is easy. At 54m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Riverside, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Santa Fe Springs, CA to Riverside, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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