How far is Los Angeles, CA from Washington, DC?
The driving distance from Los Angeles, CA to Washington, DC is about 2670.7 miles (4298 km), with a travel time of about 39h 07m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 2294.2 miles (3692.2 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 78h 15m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT.
Reverse, save, or send this route
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
Gas Cost Calculator
Leave and Arrive Planner
Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.
Drive time stays fixed at 39h 07m.
Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.
Halfway Point
A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.
The most populous city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Mostly Sunny
Scattered Rain Showers
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between Los Angeles and Washington.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Los Angeles and Washington.
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1
Start on West 1st Street
21 m · 10 sec · West 1st Street
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2
Turn left onto North Main Street
1465 ft · 35 sec · North Main Street
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3
Turn right onto East Aliso Street
103 m · 13 sec · East Aliso Street
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4
Take the ramp straight toward US 101 South, I 10 East, I 5 South
776 ft · 19 sec
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5
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
1 km · 52 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
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6
Take the exit slight left toward I 10 East: San Bernardino
1343 ft · 33 sec
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7
Continue on San Bernardino Freeway
9.3 mi · 11 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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8
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
4.1 mi · 5 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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9
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.1 mi · 1 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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10
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
2.2 mi · 3 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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11
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
2 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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12
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.1 mi · 1 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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13
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.5 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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14
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.4 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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15
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
2 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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16
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
2.1 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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17
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
4 mi · 5 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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18
Keep slight left to continue on I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
7.4 mi · 8 min · I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
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19
Take the exit slight right
120 m · 10 sec
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20
Merge slight right onto San Bernardino Freeway
1.5 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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21
Take the exit slight right toward I 15 North: Barstow, Las Vegas
1.5 km · 2 min
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22
Merge slight left onto Ontario Freeway
14 mi · 15 min · Ontario Freeway
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23
Continue on Barstow and Mojave Freeway
6.8 mi · 7 min · Barstow and Mojave Freeway
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24
Continue on CHP Officer Larry L. Wetterling and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Lieutenant Alfred E. Stewart Memorial Highway
5.4 mi · 6 min · CHP Officer Larry L. Wetterling and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Lieutenant Alfred E. Stewart Memorial Highway
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25
Continue on Barstow and Mojave Freeway
45.6 mi · 49 min · Barstow and Mojave Freeway
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26
Keep slight right to continue on Needles Freeway
143.8 mi · 2 hr 34 min · Needles Freeway
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27
Take the exit slight right toward US 95 South: East Broadway, Blythe
1786 ft · 22 sec
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28
Continue straight
1420 ft · 17 sec
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29
Merge slight left onto Needles Freeway
10.6 mi · 11 min · Needles Freeway
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30
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
1619 ft · 18 sec · Purple Heart Trail
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31
Take the exit slight right toward Bullhead City, Laughlin, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
2733 ft · 31 sec
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32
Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail
953.4 mi · 16 hr 6 min · Purple Heart Trail
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33
Continue on Great Western Cattle Trail
10.7 mi · 11 min · Great Western Cattle Trail
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34
Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
24.2 mi · 25 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
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35
Continue on Senator Ed Berrong Memorial Highway
2.6 mi · 3 min · Senator Ed Berrong Memorial Highway
-
36
Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
64.8 mi · 1 hr 7 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
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37
Continue on Crosstown Expressway
5.8 mi · 7 min · Crosstown Expressway
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38
Keep slight left to continue on Tinker Diagonal
11.8 mi · 14 min · Tinker Diagonal
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39
Continue on Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Highway
75.5 mi · 1 hr 17 min · Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Highway
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40
Continue on Tim Vandiver Memorial Highway
1.4 mi · 1 min · Tim Vandiver Memorial Highway
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41
Continue on Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Highway
243.8 mi · 4 hr 8 min · Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Highway
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42
Keep slight right to continue on Memphis
124.3 mi · 2 hr 6 min
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43
Keep slight left to continue on Blues Highway
1.3 km · 58 sec · Blues Highway
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44
Keep slight left
18 mi · 22 min
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45
Keep slight left to continue on I 40 East: Nashville, Knoxville
197.9 mi · 3 hr 34 min
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46
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East, I 65 South: Knoxville, Huntsville
1305 ft · 25 sec
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47
Merge slight left onto Downtown Loop
2.4 mi · 3 min · Downtown Loop
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48
Continue on Downtown Loop
2764 ft · 43 sec · Downtown Loop
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49
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East, I 24 East: Knoxville, Chattanooga
173.8 mi · 3 hr 10 min
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50
Keep slight left
36.7 mi · 41 min
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51
Keep slight left to continue on I 81 North: Bristol
157.1 mi · 2 hr 48 min
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52
Keep slight left to continue on I 81 North, US 11 North: Roanoke
139.7 mi · 2 hr 34 min
-
53
Continue straight
1353 ft · 18 sec
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54
Keep slight left
78.9 mi · 1 hr 26 min
-
55
Take the exit slight right toward I 66 East: Front Royal, Washington
1920 ft · 47 sec
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56
Continue straight
42.8 mi · 46 min
-
57
Keep slight right
32.3 mi · 41 min
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58
Continue on Constitution Avenue Northwest
1.1 mi · 3 min · Constitution Avenue Northwest
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59
Turn left onto 15th Street Northwest
1097 ft · 22 sec · 15th Street Northwest
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60
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · 15th Street Northwest
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between Los Angeles and Washington.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
Purple Heart Trail
Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail
953 mi · 16h 06m
Route Summary
A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.
Better with a longer stop
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
Mostly Sunny leaving Los Angeles and Scattered Rain Showers near Washington.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from Los Angeles to Washington?
The road trip is about 2670.7 miles (4298 km) and usually takes 39h 07m in normal driving conditions.
Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
What is the halfway point on this route?
Midwest City is a useful midpoint, sitting about 1333.8 miles from Los Angeles and 1336.9 miles from Washington.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 2294.2 miles (3692.2 km), while the road route adds roughly 376.5 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.
When is the best time to leave for this route?
A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
How much will gas cost for this route?
Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $543.67 one way or $1,087.34 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 837.5 kg one way.
Do you cross a time zone on this route?
Yes. There is about a 3 hour time difference between Los Angeles and Washington, so arrival and return times should be read in local time.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Mostly Sunny around Los Angeles and Scattered Rain Showers near Washington.
Stop Ideas Near Midwest City
Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.
Transit and Meeting Points
Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Midwest City.
Santa Fe Depot
Norman
Guthrie, OK
Purcell
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between Los Angeles and Washington. Straight-line distance: 2294.19 mi (3692.15 km).
#1 Los Angeles
The second most populous city in the United States and the center of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
| Population | 3,970,219 |
| Coordinates | 34.0522300, -118.2436800 |
| Altitude | 89 |
| Country | United States |
#2 Washington
Located on the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia, this city serves as the capital of the United States.
| Population | 712,816 |
| Coordinates | 38.8951100, -77.0363700 |
| Altitude | 7 |
| Country | United States |
End: Ellipse Road Northwest (-77.036363, 38.895187)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 4298 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 88h 59m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 66h 46m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 53h 24m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 44h 30m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 38h 09m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 33h 19m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $5.77 | $543.67 | $1,087.34 |
| Mid-grade | $6.07 | $571.66 | $1,143.32 |
| Premium | $6.24 | $588.34 | $1,176.68 |
| Diesel | $7.57 | $713.11 | $1,426.23 |
Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.
Prices in California · Apr 20, 2026
Distance to Other Cities
Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.