How far is Riverside, CA from Boulder Creek, CA?

The driving distance from Riverside, CA to Boulder Creek, CA is about 407.2 miles (655.3 km), with a travel time of about 08h 01m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 344.4 miles (554.2 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 16h 02m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT.
Trip Tools

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.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
407.17 mi
08h 01m
Flight
344.38 mi
554.22 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Riverside.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
344.38 mi
Kilometers
554.22 km
Flight Time
00h 41m

Driving Distance

Road route
407.17 mi
Kilometers
655.28 km
Drive Time
08h 01m

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 08h 01m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Boulder Creek
Thu, Apr 23, 11:25 AM PDT
Return by in Riverside
Thu, Apr 23, 7:27 PM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Riverside
2026-04-23T03:24
Arrive Boulder Creek
Thu, Apr 23, 11:25 AM PDT
Route Timing
08h 01m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
2:01 PM to 3:31 PM PDT

Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

Leave by
7:58 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Riverside
8:00 PM PDT
Overnight-style route

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.

Mid-route stop
Lost Hills
CA

Census-designated place in Kern County, California

From Riverside
203.6 mi
04h 00m
To Boulder Creek
203.6 mi
04h 00m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
77°F
Thursday

Sunny

Starts
Thu, Apr 23 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
0 to 15 mph SW
Destination
Boulder Creek Weather
CA
Live fallback forecast
64°F
Thursday
Using Ben Lomond as the closest live forecast in the Santa Cruz County weather hub.

Sunny

Starts
Thu, Apr 23 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
3 to 16 mph WNW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Riverside and Boulder Creek.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Riverside and Boulder Creek.

  1. 1

    Start on the route

    55 m · 14 sec

  2. 2

    Turn right

    29 m · 7 sec

  3. 3

    Turn right onto Magnolia Avenue

    70 m · 15 sec · Magnolia Avenue

  4. 4

    Turn left onto Central Avenue

    3.5 mi · 6 min · Central Avenue

  5. 5

    Turn right onto Van Buren Boulevard

    6.1 mi · 8 min · Van Buren Boulevard

  6. 6

    Continue on Mission Boulevard

    1434 ft · 24 sec · Mission Boulevard

  7. 7

    Take the ramp slight left toward CA 60 West

    1617 ft · 41 sec

  8. 8

    Merge slight left onto Pomona Freeway

    12.1 mi · 14 min · Pomona Freeway

  9. 9

    Take the exit slight right toward CA 71 South, CA 71 North: Corona, Pomona

    1213 ft · 30 sec

  10. 10

    Keep slight right to continue on CA 71 North: Pomona

    2510 ft · 1 min

  11. 11

    Keep slight left

    811 ft · 20 sec

  12. 12

    Merge slight left onto Chino Valley Freeway

    3.5 mi · 4 min · Chino Valley Freeway

  13. 13

    Keep slight left to continue on CA 57 North

    1.2 km · 2 min

  14. 14

    Continue straight

    3.4 mi · 4 min

  15. 15

    Keep slight left to continue on I 210 West: Pasadena

    1.1 mi · 2 min

  16. 16

    Merge slight left onto Foothill Freeway

    18.3 mi · 21 min · Foothill Freeway

  17. 17

    Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway

    25.6 mi · 30 min · Foothill Freeway

  18. 18

    Keep slight right

    686 ft · 9 sec

  19. 19

    Merge slight right

    1.6 km · 1 min

  20. 20

    Keep slight left

    36.1 mi · 42 min

  21. 21

    Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway

    22.3 mi · 25 min · Golden State Freeway

  22. 22

    Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway

    182.5 mi · 3 hr 16 min · Westside Freeway

  23. 23

    Take the exit slight right toward CA 152 West: Gilroy, Hollister, San Jose

    1038 ft · 27 sec

  24. 24

    Continue straight

    28.7 mi · 33 min

  25. 25

    Keep slight right

    7.4 mi · 10 min

  26. 26

    Turn left onto Bloomfield Avenue

    3.2 mi · 5 min · Bloomfield Avenue

  27. 27

    At the end of the road, turn right onto Bloomfield Avenue

    1.4 km · 1 min · Bloomfield Avenue

  28. 28

    Take the ramp left

    1205 ft · 16 sec

  29. 29

    Merge slight left onto South Valley Freeway

    2.9 mi · 3 min · South Valley Freeway

  30. 30

    Continue on El Camino Real

    2.3 mi · 3 min · El Camino Real

  31. 31

    Take the exit slight right toward CA 129 West: Watsonville, Santa Cruz

    1435 ft · 19 sec

  32. 32

    Turn right onto Chittenden Road

    2.5 mi · 3 min · Chittenden Road

  33. 33

    Continue on Riverside Road

    8.6 mi · 12 min · Riverside Road

  34. 34

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Riverside Road

    44 m · 2 sec · Riverside Road

  35. 35

    Exit the roundabout onto Riverside Road

    1.4 km · 1 min · Riverside Road

  36. 36

    Turn right onto Blackburn Street

    2243 ft · 1 min · Blackburn Street

  37. 37

    At the end of the road, turn left onto East Lake Avenue

    2844 ft · 55 sec · East Lake Avenue

  38. 38

    Turn right onto Main Street

    1560 ft · 30 sec · Main Street

  39. 39

    Turn left onto Main Street

    1.6 mi · 3 min · Main Street

  40. 40

    Take the ramp straight

    1260 ft · 31 sec

  41. 41

    Merge slight left onto Cabrillo Highway

    13.8 mi · 16 min · Cabrillo Highway

  42. 42

    Take the exit slight right toward CA 17 North: San Jose, Oakland

    2245 ft · 28 sec

  43. 43

    Merge slight left onto Santa Cruz Highway

    3 mi · 3 min · Santa Cruz Highway

  44. 44

    Take the exit slight right toward Mount Hermon Road

    591 ft · 8 sec

  45. 45

    Continue on Mount Hermon Road

    3.8 mi · 7 min · Mount Hermon Road

  46. 46

    Turn right onto Graham Hill Road

    973 ft · 34 sec · Graham Hill Road

  47. 47

    Turn right onto Highway 9

    6.6 mi · 15 min · Highway 9

  48. 48

    Turn right onto Middleton Avenue

    31 m · 3 sec · Middleton Avenue

  49. 49

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Middleton Avenue

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Riverside and Boulder Creek.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Long-distance drive

This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.

Directions
49 steps
16 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
17
7 merges, 10 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
12 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Westside Freeway
183 mi · 45%
Foothill Freeway
81.2 mi · 20%
CA 152 West
36.3 mi · 9%
Golden State Freeway
22.3 mi · 5%
Cabrillo Highway
13.8 mi · 3%
Pomona Freeway
12.1 mi · 3%
Longest Stretch

Westside Freeway

Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway

183 mi · 03h 16m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

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.

Drive Time
08h 01m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
16h 02m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+62.8 mi
344.4 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Lost Hills
04h 00m from Riverside
Leave By
7:58 PM PDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Riverside and Sunny near Boulder Creek.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Riverside to Boulder Creek?

The road trip is about 407.2 miles (655.3 km) and usually takes 08h 01m 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?

Lost Hills is a useful midpoint, sitting about 203.6 miles from Riverside and 203.6 miles from Boulder Creek.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 344.4 miles (554.2 km), while the road route adds roughly 62.8 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 $82.90 one way or $165.80 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 127.7 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Riverside and Sunny near Boulder Creek.

Stop Ideas Near Lost Hills

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Lost Hills, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Lost Hills.

RAIL

Wasco station

33 mi away
700 G Street
BUS

Kettleman City, California

47 mi away
3300 Hubert Way
RAIL

Corcoran station

55 mi away
1099 Otis Ave.
RAIL

Bakersfield

67 mi away
601 Truxtun Ave

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Riverside and Boulder Creek. Straight-line distance: 344.38 mi (554.22 km).

Riverside

#1 Riverside

The most populous city in Riverside County, California and the center of the Riverside metropolitan area.

Population330,786
Coordinates33.9533500, -117.3961600
Altitude252
CountryUnited States
Boulder Creek

#2 Boulder Creek

Census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California

Population4,923
Coordinates37.1260600, -122.1221900
Altitude146
CountryUnited States
Start: Riverside (-117.39616, 33.95335)
End: Boulder Creek (-122.12219, 37.12606)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 655 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)13h 34m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)10h 10m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)08h 08m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)06h 47m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)05h 49m
80 mph (129 km/h)05h 04m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
14.37 gal
54.39 L · about $82.90
Round trip
$165.80
28.74 gal · 108.78 L
Estimated CO2
127.7 kg one way
Round trip: 255.4 kg / 563 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $82.90 $165.80
Mid-grade $6.07 $87.17 $174.34
Premium $6.24 $89.71 $179.42
Diesel $7.57 $108.74 $217.48

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 23, 2026

There is no time difference between Riverside and Boulder Creek. The current time is 03:24:11.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.