Origin
South Gate, CA
Morning in South Gate on Saturday
Local time
6:32 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Gate, CA to Anaheim, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
19.9 mi
32 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Gate, CA
Isaac Garcia
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward transit between South Gate and Anaheim, this 19.9-mile trip is an ideal candidate for a single-day journey. You can expect to spend about 30 minutes behind the wheel, making it a highly efficient connection within the Pacific Coast region. With a fuel budget of approximately $5, this drive is remarkably cost-effective for commuters or weekend travelers. Because the transit time is so brief, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or complex logistics. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that gets you from point A to point B without any mandatory stops required along the way.
About the Cities
Starting in South Gate, CA
Full guide →The largely suburban and industrial Gateway Cities of Los Angeles County in Southern California make up the southeastern portion of the county, lying between the City of Los Angeles proper and the border of the county with Orange County.
Arriving in Anaheim, CA
Full guide →Founded 1857
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. It is best known for being the home of Disneyland. Its second claim to fame is hosting the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks and Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels.
Top landmarks
- • Disneyland — American theme park in California owned by The Walt Disney Company
- • Disney California Adventure — theme park in California, part of Disneyland Resort
- • Soarin' — flight motion simulator attraction at Disney parks
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 30m. Total distance: 19.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a mixed driving experience that transitions between busy urban corridors and local streets. Roughly 45% of your journey takes place on major highways, primarily utilizing the Santa Ana Freeway. You will encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch of 8.9 miles while on the freeway, which provides the bulk of your cruising time. Once you depart the highway, the route shifts to surface roads like Firestone Boulevard and West Lincoln Avenue. This combination offers a blend of high-speed transit and the slower, more controlled pace of city driving, creating a balanced feel as you navigate through the heart of the region.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Santa Ana Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Firestone Boulevard.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 19.9 miles you will encounter 9 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: near the start (Firestone Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 9.1 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Firestone Boulevard
Depart onto Firestone Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
8.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Turn right toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Navigation decision point
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
5
9.1 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
18 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward Lincoln Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 111
Toward Lincoln Avenue
4
18.5 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
West Lincoln Avenue
Turn left onto West Lincoln Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 8.9 mi | 10m |
| Firestone Boulevard | 7.7 mi | 12m |
| West Lincoln Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Imperial Highway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| South Anaheim Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 8.9 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Gate, CA and Anaheim, CA.
1
Start on Firestone Boulevard
7.7 mi
·
12 min
·
Firestone Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn slight left onto Imperial Highway
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Imperial Highway
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
4
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
this road
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Merge onto I 5
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 111
Toward Lincoln Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn left onto West Lincoln Avenue
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
West Lincoln Avenue
Use the left lane.
8
Turn right onto South Anaheim Boulevard
370 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Anaheim Boulevard
9
Turn right
200 ft
·
14 sec
10
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.57 one way
$9.15 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.71 | $9.43 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.84 | $9.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.39 | $8.79 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.74 | $0.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.27 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Anaheim, CA
Morning in Anaheim on Saturday
Local time
6:32 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
30m 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 South Gate, CA to Anaheim, CA covers 19.9 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Santa Ana Freeway, Firestone Boulevard, West Lincoln Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.9 miles from South Gate, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.57 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 19.9 miles you will encounter 9 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: near the start (Firestone Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 9.1 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from South Gate, CA to Anaheim, 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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