Avoiding Yuma on route to San Diego

[mir86]

Originally Posted by Lil Jhwk

My boyfriend and I drove that route and we didn't hit any traffic because you're driving the farthest east of L.A. Barely hitting San Bernardino and Riverside. Of course if we took the route the map said it would have been an hour shorter. But it didn't make any difference sent we spent the night in AZ.

oh wow, that's not bad at all! I've never taken that route, but I do know that anything west of san bernardino is traffic insanity so that's why I suggested to stay on the 8.

[trailtramp]

Just drive west on the 8 and don't worry about the roads. 20 miles west of Yuma the freeway does wind but it is 2 lanes and is not hairpin turns like sugggested. You get through it in about 15 minutes. Then just east of El Centro there is another similar period of about 15 miles and that is not scary either. The drive on I-8 is also much more scenic than the route east of LA.

Nothing is worse than going west on I-10 and then south on I-15. It is east of Los Angeles, tons of traffic, smog and is a miserably ugly drive.

[Lil Jhwk]

You don't have to go on the 10. Just stay on the 40 til you get to the 15 then split off onto the 215 then it merges back with the 15. It's actually pretty easy

[T. Damon]

Originally Posted by Lil Jhwk

What really scares me about the 8 and those roads are the people going like 85 on them. I don't get how people can go so fast without fallin off the edge or rolling their car.

Physics, and paying attention.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

The OP would certainly not be able to tolerate my daily commute. I-8 should be no problem.

[stillkit]

It's an interstate highway. How bad can it be?

The climb up from El Centro to the top of the mountain is 9 miles of 6% grade, but in a car, you'll hardly notice it. It's a little curvy, but nothing which would frighten a 2 year old. Just admire the massive rock piles! In any case, it only goes up to about 4,200 ft of elevation.

In truth, going through the mountains before you get to Yuma is worse, but it's a trip when the lanes change sides! It's nothing to be concerned about.

Someone asked the best route from Phoenix to Yuma? Depending upon where you start, take either I-10 west to AZ-85 and south to Gila Bend. You'll pick up I-8 there. If you're starting from south of downtown Phoenix, take Buckeye Rd to AZ-85 and turn left.