Origin
Universal City, CA
Afternoon in Universal City on Friday
Local time
12:15 PM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Universal City, CA to Los Angeles, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
10.5 mi
17 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Universal City, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
The drive from Universal City, CA to Los Angeles, CA covers 10.5 miles and takes about 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Hollywood Freeway, Barham Boulevard, James Stewart Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8 miles on Hollywood Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.41 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 10.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 18m highway drive covering 10.5 miles, with most of the trip on Hollywood Freeway and Barham Boulevard. The longest continuous stretch is about 8 miles on Hollywood 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.
Hollywood Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Hollywood Freeway and Barham Boulevard. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in.
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 10.5 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.1 miles (James Stewart Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 10 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
James Stewart Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto James Stewart Avenue
Navigation decision point
7
10 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward Broadway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 2C
Toward Broadway
7
10.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
North Spring Street
Turn right onto North Spring Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
10.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
West 1st Street
Turn left onto West 1st Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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 Universal City, CA to Los Angeles, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Broadway along the way.
Broadway
10 mi in
|
~17m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Freeway | 8 mi | 10m |
| Barham Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| James Stewart Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Spring Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Aliso Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cylon Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cahuenga Boulevard West | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Hollywood Freeway
— 8 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Universal City, CA and Los Angeles, CA.
1
Start on this road
83 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Cylon Drive
398 ft
·
29 sec
·
Cylon Drive
3
Keep slight left at fork
133 ft
·
12 sec
4
At end of road, turn right onto James Stewart Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
James Stewart Avenue
5
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
1 min
6
At end of road, turn right onto Barham Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Barham Boulevard
7
Turn right
168 ft
·
6 sec
8
Turn slight right onto Cahuenga Boulevard West
332 ft
·
11 sec
·
Cahuenga Boulevard West
9
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward US 101 South
10
Merge onto US 101
8.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Hollywood Freeway
Use the right lane.
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Exit 2C
Toward Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on West Aliso Street
409 ft
·
18 sec
·
West Aliso Street
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn right onto North Spring Street
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
North Spring Street
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto West 1st Street
354 ft
·
12 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the left lane.
15
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.41 one way
$4.83 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.49 | $4.97 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.55 | $5.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.32 | $4.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.10 | $0.50 |
| Efficient EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.92 | $0.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Los Angeles, CA
Afternoon in Los Angeles on Friday
Local time
12:15 PM
PDT
Current temp
54°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
1 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
18m 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 Universal City, CA to Los Angeles, CA covers 10.5 miles and takes about 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Hollywood Freeway, Barham Boulevard, James Stewart Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.3 miles from Universal City, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.41 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 10.5 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.1 miles (James Stewart Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 10 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Universal City, CA to Los Angeles, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Broadway along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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