How far is Santa Rosa, CA from Fontana, CA?

The driving distance from Santa Rosa, CA to Fontana, CA is about 473.2 miles (761.6 km), with a travel time of about 08h 51m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 420.3 miles (676.4 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 17h 42m 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
473.25 mi
08h 51m
Flight
420.27 mi
676.36 km direct

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

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Santa Rosa.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
420.27 mi
Kilometers
676.36 km
Flight Time
00h 50m

Driving Distance

Road route
473.25 mi
Kilometers
761.63 km
Drive Time
08h 51m

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 51m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Fontana
Sat, Apr 18, 5:16 AM PDT
Return by in Santa Rosa
Sat, Apr 18, 2:07 PM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Santa Rosa
2026-04-17T20:24
Arrive Fontana
Sat, Apr 18, 5:16 AM PDT
Route Timing
08h 51m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
2:51 PM to 4:21 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
6:18 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Santa Rosa
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
Huron
CA

Small city in Fresno County, California

From Santa Rosa
236.6 mi
04h 25m
To Fontana
236.6 mi
04h 25m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
Santa Rosa Weather
CA
Live fallback forecast
62°F
Friday
Using Sebastopol as the closest live forecast in the Sonoma County weather hub.

Sunny

Starts
Fri, Apr 17 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
6 to 9 mph NW
Destination
75°F
Friday

Sunny

Starts
Fri, Apr 17 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
20 to 30 mph N

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Santa Rosa and Fontana.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Santa Rosa and Fontana.

  1. 1

    Start on 4th Street

    136 m · 19 sec · 4th Street

  2. 2

    Turn left onto B Street

    100 m · 19 sec · B Street

  3. 3

    Turn right onto 3rd Street

    1267 ft · 41 sec · 3rd Street

  4. 4

    Take the ramp left toward CA 12, US 101 South

    1050 ft · 28 sec

  5. 5

    Keep slight left to continue on US 101 South: San Francisco

    748 ft · 18 sec

  6. 6

    Merge slight left onto Redwood Highway

    36.9 mi · 43 min · Redwood Highway

  7. 7

    Keep slight right to continue on John T. Knox Freeway

    13.6 mi · 17 min · John T. Knox Freeway

  8. 8

    Merge slight left onto Eastshore Freeway

    3.8 mi · 5 min · Eastshore Freeway

  9. 9

    Keep slight left to continue on Interstate Highway 80

    1321 ft · 21 sec · Interstate Highway 80

  10. 10

    Keep slight left to continue on MacArthur Freeway

    16.4 mi · 19 min · MacArthur Freeway

  11. 11

    Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

    11.5 mi · 13 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

  12. 12

    Keep slight right to continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

    17.8 mi · 21 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

  13. 13

    Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway

    11.1 mi · 12 min · William Elton Brown Freeway

  14. 14

    Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway

    5.9 mi · 6 min · William Elton Brown Freeway

  15. 15

    Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway

    224.4 mi · 4 hr · Westside Freeway

  16. 16

    Keep slight right

    58.4 mi · 1 hr 7 min

  17. 17

    Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway

    2 mi · 2 min · Golden State Freeway

  18. 18

    Take the exit slight right toward I 210 East: Pasadena

    1347 ft · 18 sec

  19. 19

    Continue on Foothill Freeway

    24.4 mi · 28 min · Foothill Freeway

  20. 20

    Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway

    19.1 mi · 22 min · Foothill Freeway

  21. 21

    Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway

    2.9 mi · 3 min · Foothill Freeway

  22. 22

    Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway

    1.4 mi · 2 min · Foothill Freeway

  23. 23

    Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway

    1.2 mi · 1 min · Foothill Freeway

  24. 24

    Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway

    1.8 mi · 2 min · Foothill Freeway

  25. 25

    Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway

    16.1 mi · 19 min · Foothill Freeway

  26. 26

    Take the exit slight right toward Sierra Avenue

    1796 ft · 46 sec

  27. 27

    Turn right onto Sierra Avenue

    3 mi · 5 min · Sierra Avenue

  28. 28

    Turn left onto Merrill Avenue

    63 m · 4 sec · Merrill Avenue

  29. 29

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Merrill Avenue

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Santa Rosa and Fontana.

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
29 steps
4 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
7
4 merges, 3 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
6.1 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Westside Freeway
283 mi · 60%
Foothill Freeway
67 mi · 14%
Redwood Highway
36.9 mi · 8%
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
29.3 mi · 6%
William Elton Brown Freeway
17 mi · 4%
MacArthur Freeway
16.4 mi · 3%
Longest Stretch

Westside Freeway

Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway

224 mi · 04h 00m

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 51m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
17h 42m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+52.9 mi
420.3 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Huron
04h 25m from Santa Rosa
Leave By
6:18 PM PDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Santa Rosa and Sunny near Fontana.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Rosa to Fontana?

The road trip is about 473.2 miles (761.6 km) and usually takes 08h 51m 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?

Huron is a useful midpoint, sitting about 236.6 miles from Santa Rosa and 236.6 miles from Fontana.

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

The direct path is about 420.3 miles (676.4 km), while the road route adds roughly 52.9 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 $96.34 one way or $192.68 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 148.4 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Santa Rosa and Sunny near Fontana.

Stop Ideas Near Huron

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

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Huron, 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 Huron.

BUS

Lemoore (Naval Air Station), California

26 mi away
25th Ave and Highway 198
BUS

Kettleman City, California

28 mi away
3300 Hubert Way
BUS

Lemoore, California

29 mi away
300 E Street
RAIL

Hanford station

43 mi away
200 Santa Fe Avenue #A

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Santa Rosa and Fontana. Straight-line distance: 420.27 mi (676.36 km).

Santa Rosa

#1 Santa Rosa

The fifth most populous city in California.

Population174,613
Coordinates38.4404700, -122.7144300
Altitude50
CountryUnited States
Fontana

#2 Fontana

The second most populous city in San Bernardino County, California.

Population216,173
Coordinates34.0922300, -117.4350500
Altitude377
CountryUnited States
Start: Santa Rosa (-122.71443, 38.44047)
End: Fontana (-117.43505, 34.09223)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 762 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)15h 46m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)11h 49m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)09h 27m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)07h 53m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)06h 45m
80 mph (129 km/h)05h 54m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
16.7 gal
63.22 L · about $96.34
Round trip
$192.68
33.4 gal · 126.44 L
Estimated CO2
148.4 kg one way
Round trip: 296.8 kg / 654 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $96.34 $192.68
Mid-grade $6.07 $101.30 $202.60
Premium $6.24 $104.26 $208.52
Diesel $7.57 $126.37 $252.74

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 18, 2026

There is no time difference between Santa Rosa and Fontana. The current time is 20:24:43.

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.