Los Angeles to San Diego distance
Los Angeles and San Diego are 112 miles (179 km) apart in a straight line and 120 miles (194 km) apart by road: about 2 hr 25 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-5 and I-805. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 120 mi (194 km)
- Driving time
- 2 hr 25 min
- Straight line
- 112 mi (179 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on October 31, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 112 mi (179 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 120 mi (194 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 2 hr 25 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +8% 1.08 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 50 mph (81 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 145° (southeast) leaving Los Angeles toward San Diego |
| Midpoint | 33.3850° N, 117.6963° W near Rancho Mission Viejo (California) |
| Halfway by road | Near Rancho Mission Viejo (California) 60.1 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Los Angeles: 284 ft (87 m) · San Diego: 63 ft (19 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Los Angeles: 3,869,089 · San Diego: 1,406,106 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Los Angeles to San Diego by road
The fastest driving route is 120 miles (194 km) long and takes about 2 hr 25 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-5 (100 mi), I-805 (7.1 mi), and CA 163 (6.3 mi).
The whole route stays in California. That’s an average of 50 mph (81 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 1 stop of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 2 hr 45 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Los Angeles and San Diego are 112 miles (179 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 8% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 108. The route runs almost straight. Of the 40 US pairs in this series, it ranks 35th for detour (the average is 14%).
From Los Angeles, San Diego lies to the southeast (bearing 145°), and from San Diego, Los Angeles lies to the northwest.
Halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego
Halfway along the straight line, 55.8 miles (89.7 km) from each city, is the point 33.3850° N, 117.6963° W. It falls in the water; the closest place is Rancho Mission Viejo (California, pop. 11,971), 11.8 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Temescal Valley (California, pop. 30,069), 28.9 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 60.1 miles (96.8 km) from each city, near Rancho Mission Viejo (California, pop. 11,971), 6.3 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Temescal Valley (California, pop. 30,069), 23.7 mi away. The two midpoints almost coincide (5.6 mi apart), because the road doesn’t stray far from the straight line.
Time zone and flight
Los Angeles and San Diego share the same time all year: both are on Pacific Time.
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
Los Angeles sits at 284 ft (87 m) and San Diego at 63 ft (19 m), 221 ft (67 m) lower.
Los Angeles has 3.9 million people and San Diego 1.4 million people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Los Angeles to San Diego?
112 miles (179 km) in a straight line and 120 miles (194 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-5 and I-805).
How long is the drive from Los Angeles to San Diego?
About 2 hr 25 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 2 hr 45 min.
Where is the halfway point between Los Angeles and San Diego?
In a straight line, in the water, near Rancho Mission Viejo (California). By road, 60.1 mi from each city, near Rancho Mission Viejo (California).
Are Los Angeles and San Diego in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Pacific Time all year.
Which city is higher, Los Angeles or San Diego?
Los Angeles, at 284 ft (87 m); San Diego sits at 63 ft (19 m).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
More distances from Los Angeles
All distances- Los Angeles to Chicago 1,744 mi straight line · 2,019 mi by road · 35 hr 25 min
- Los Angeles to Phoenix 358 mi straight line · 373 mi by road · 6 hr 40 min
- New York to Los Angeles 2,451 mi straight line · 2,794 mi by road · 49 hr 45 min
- Los Angeles to San Francisco 347 mi straight line · 382 mi by road · 7 hr 10 min
- Los Angeles to Las Vegas 229 mi straight line · 270 mi by road · 4 hr 55 min
More distances from San Diego
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on October 31, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: Mapsfera gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · Mapsfera
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology