LA to Vegas Drive: Stops and One-Way Rental

Flying into Los Angeles and out of Las Vegas? Or ending a California trip with a few nights in Nevada? Then the LA to Vegas drive is one of the classic American road trips: a single interstate, I-15, climbing out of the LA basin and running across the Mojave Desert to the Strip.

The Los Angeles to Las Vegas drive is easy to navigate, but the desert rewards a little planning. This guide covers how long the drive takes, where to pick up your car in Los Angeles, the best stops and detours, desert safety, the road rules in both states, and how returning a one way rental in Las Vegas works.

How long is the drive from LA to Las Vegas?

The drive from LA to Vegas is about 435 km (270 miles) and takes around 4.5 hours without stops or heavy traffic. That is the figure shown on our Los Angeles to Las Vegas route page. In practice, plan for more. Traffic leaving Los Angeles can be slow, and I-15 gets busy on weekends and holidays, especially on Friday afternoons heading toward Vegas.

From central Los Angeles, the usual route runs east on I-10 or I-210 to I-15, then north on I-15 over the Cajon Pass, past Victorville and Barstow, through Baker, and across the Nevada state line at Primm. From there it is a straight run into Las Vegas.

Before you set off, check live conditions on Caltrans QuickMap for the California side and Nevada 511 for the Nevada side. Both show closures, incidents and roadwork in real time.

LA to Las Vegas at a glance	Details
Distance	About 435 km (270 miles)
Drive time	Around 4.5 hours without stops or heavy traffic
Main highway	I-15 north, via the Cajon Pass
State line	Primm, Nevada
Live roads	Caltrans QuickMap (California), Nevada 511 (Nevada)
Best break	Barstow or Baker, for food and fuel

Picking up your rental car in Los Angeles

Where you pick up depends on the offers for your dates. Our route page currently lists several city offices for this route, such as Beverly Hills, Pasadena and Downtown Los Angeles. Check the pickup location in your booking details before you plan your first day.

Flying into LAX? The one way offers on this route currently pick up at city offices, not at the airport, so plan a ride from LAX to your pickup office.

At the desk, bring your license, passport or national ID, your voucher and a physical credit card in the main driver's name for the security deposit. Age rules and any young driver surcharge depend on the rental company, and the minimum age is shown before you book. If you are under 25, our guide to car rental under 25 explains what to expect.

Best stops on the LA to Vegas road trip

A good Los Angeles to Las Vegas road trip is more than four hours of desert. These stops are listed in driving order.

Barstow. The classic halfway break for food and fuel. Barstow Station is built from 16 old train cars welded together, according to Visit Las Vegas.

Calico Ghost Town Regional Park. A short detour near Barstow, Calico is a mining town that dates from 1881. San Bernardino County Parks lists it as open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, closed on Christmas Day, with daily admission of USD 8 for adults and USD 5 for ages 4 to 11 (2026). Train rides, mine tours and other attractions cost extra.

Former schoolhouse at Calico Ghost Town near Barstow, California, under a blue desert sky Photo by Ilse Orsel on Unsplash

Mojave National Preserve detour. At Baker, exit at Kelbaker Road and drive 55 km (34 miles) south to the Kelso Depot Visitor Center, per the National Park Service. The nearby Kelso Dunes are spectacular, but the NPS does not recommend hiking them in summer, when temperatures can reach 49°C (120°F).

Baker. Home of the World's Tallest Thermometer, 134 feet tall in honor of the 134°F record set in Death Valley on July 10, 1913.

Death Valley detour. If you have a spare day, Baker is also your turnoff for Death Valley National Park. CA 127 runs north from Baker toward Shoshone and Death Valley Junction, and the NPS lists CA 178 from Shoshone and CA 190 from Death Valley Junction as paved entrances.

Every visitor needs an entrance pass (USD 30 per private vehicle in 2026, and the park is cashless). The NPS warns that GPS directions to remote parts of the park are often wrong, so carry a paper map.

To reach Las Vegas afterward, the NPS describes the fastest route as going through Pahrump on NV 160.

Zzyzx Road. Just past Baker, this exit was named to be "the last word in the English language."

Primm and Seven Magic Mountains. Cross into Nevada at Primm and its Welcome to Nevada sign. Closer to the city, near Jean and about 16 km (10 miles) south of the Strip, you will find Seven Magic Mountains, the neon rock towers by artist Ugo Rondinone.

Colorful stacked boulders of the Seven Magic Mountains art installation in the desert near Las Vegas, Nevada Photo by Christian Lendl on Unsplash

After you arrive: Red Rock Canyon. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is 27 km (17 miles) west of the Strip, with a 21 km (13 mile) scenic drive. From October 1 to May 31, you need a timed entry reservation for entry between 8:00 and 17:00, bookable on Recreation.gov.

Continuing your trip? There are one way rentals from Las Vegas too, such as Las Vegas to Phoenix.

Leave room in the schedule. The best stops are the ones you did not plan to rush.

Driving in the desert: heat, water and fuel

The interstate itself is busy and well served, but conditions in the Mojave can be extreme. Plan for them:

Carry water. The NPS recommends at least one gallon (about 3.8 liters) per person per day, and two if you are hiking in hot weather.
Expect weak signal. Cell coverage is sporadic once you leave the interstate, so tell someone your route if you take a detour.
Prepare for both extremes. The NPS says to be ready for extreme heat in summer and snow and ice in winter. Caltrans notes that chains are sometimes required on I-15 over the Cajon Pass between San Bernardino and Victorville, so check QuickMap before winter trips. Whether chains are allowed on your rental depends on the rental company, so check the rental conditions shown at booking.
Fill up early. Top up the tank in Barstow or Baker before any detour. Death Valley has only three gas stations inside the park and, according to the NPS, no rapid chargers for electric cars.
Stay on paved roads. Damage from driving off road is not usually covered by the basic insurance included with most bookings.
In an emergency or breakdown, dial 911.

Most rentals are full-to-full, so plan to refuel near Las Vegas before you return the car. Our Help Center explains the fuel policy.

Sand ridge shaped by the wind at the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve, California Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash

Road rules to know in California and Nevada

The basics are familiar: drive on the right, wear your seatbelt, and follow the posted speed limits, which are shown in miles per hour. Phone rules are where visitors most often slip up.

California: under Vehicle Code § 23123.5, you may not drive while holding and operating a phone. Hands-free use is allowed, and a phone mounted on the windshield, dashboard or center console may be touched only with a single swipe or tap.
Nevada: under NRS 484B.165, you may not type, text, read data or hold a phone for calls while driving. Calls are allowed only with a hands-free accessory.

Set your navigation before you leave the rental lot, and let a passenger handle the phone.

Visiting from abroad? Bring your full, valid, physical license. If it is not in Latin characters, you also need an International Driving Permit. GOV.UK advises UK drivers to check the rules of the state and the rental company, because you may need both your license and an IDP to rent a car in the US.

How a one way rental from LA to Las Vegas works

A Los Angeles to Las Vegas car rental is a one way rental: you pick up in Los Angeles and drop off in Las Vegas, so there is no need to drive back. Many suppliers allow one way rentals, and some charge a one way fee, which is usually shown during booking. Whether a fee applies depends on the supplier, so check the rental conditions shown at booking. Read more about returning a car to a different location.

What is usually included, in the FAQ wording:

Basic insurance: most bookings include CDW, Theft Protection and Third Party Liability from the supplier, with an excess shown before booking.
Mileage: usually unlimited, and any limit is shown during booking.
Cancellation: most bookings include free cancellation within a deadline set by the supplier, and the exact cutoff is shown before you confirm.

Glass, tires and undercarriage are not usually covered by the basic insurance, which is worth knowing on long desert roads.

Returning your car in Las Vegas

Your drop-off location is shown in your booking details. If your drop-off is at Harry Reid International Airport, you return the car at the airport's Rent-A-Car Center at 7135 Gilespie Street, about 5 km (3 miles) south of the airport. Drop the car, and free shuttles take you to your terminal.

Allow extra time. The airport says lane closures in the connector tunnels run through December 2026, so the shuttle ride may take longer than usual. Keep an eye on the clock too: late returns usually have a grace period of only about 30 minutes, after which an extra day may be charged.

Plan your LA to Vegas drive

Before you go, run through a quick checklist: water for everyone, a live roads check on QuickMap and Nevada 511, a full tank before any detour, and, if you are flying out, a return time that leaves room to get to your flight.

When you are ready, compare offers on our Los Angeles to Las Vegas one way car rental page. Pick up in Los Angeles, drop off in Las Vegas, and enjoy the desert in between.

LA to Las Vegas Drive: One-Way Rental and Road Trip Guide