Foster City, CA Road Trips
Foster City, CA serves as a quiet starting point in the Pacific Coast, connecting drivers to 5 outbound routes across the area. Routes from here tend to cover serious ground — the average trip runs 418 miles, so plan for multi-day adventures. Most routes from Foster City, CA head east, giving the route network a clear directional lean.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
11
Longest Drive
498.9 mi
Chula Vista, CA
Quickest Drive
29m
San Francisco, CA
Plan Around Foster City, CA
Popular Incoming Routes
Useful if Foster City, CA is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.
Continue From Foster City, CA
Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.
Trips from Foster City, CA
Driving from Foster City, CA
Expect an average of 418 miles and about 7h 50m behind the wheel when leaving Foster City, CA. This is long-haul territory. Most routes stretch past the 250-mile mark, so pack snacks and plan fuel stops. The longest mapped route runs 499 miles (9h 26m), while the shortest is just 371 miles.
Popular Destinations
The most popular drives from Foster City, CA include Chula Vista, CA (498.9 mi, 9h 26m), Riverside, CA (422.1 mi, 7h 58m), Santa Ana, CA (403 mi, 7h 31m), Long Beach, CA (394.9 mi, 7h 22m), and Los Angeles, CA (370.8 mi, 6h 54m). Most destinations stay within the same state, perfect for exploring the local region thoroughly.
Planning & Costs
For the average 418-mile drive from Foster City, CA, expect to burn about 16.5 gallons of fuel one way at 25 MPG. Check local pump prices before you go to lock in your budget.
Routes tend to go east, so afternoon departures put the sun at your back on the return leg. These are full-day drives. Start by 7 or 8 AM if you want to arrive at a reasonable hour without rushing.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 5 mapped routes leaving Foster City, CA and 6 routes heading into Foster City, CA, covering 11 total connections. Distances range from 371 to 499 miles.
The longest mapped route from Foster City, CA covers 499 miles and takes approximately 9h 26m. Shorter options start at just 371 miles.
The average route from Foster City, CA runs about 418 miles with a drive time of roughly 7h 50m. This includes both short day trips and longer multi-day drives.
The most popular road trip destinations from Foster City, CA include Chula Vista, CA, Riverside, CA, Santa Ana, CA and Long Beach, CA. Each route page has detailed drive times, fuel estimates, stop suggestions, and turn-by-turn directions.
Foster City, CA at a Glance
Founded
1971
Elevation
23 ft
Area
20 mi²
City data from Wikidata (Q988691), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Foster City, CA
Foster City is a quiet suburban city on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Primarily residential and lacking in a downtown, it also has a couple of large office parks and several large employers including Gilead, Visa, and Sony.
1 Leo J. Ryan Park, East Hillsdale Blvd. across from The Marketplace. Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park encompasses 20 acres overlooking Central Lake, the largest water expanse in the lagoon system, and is home to the William E. Walker Recreation Center. Besides the wonderful waterfront setting, the park includes an outdoor amphitheater, sailboat tie-up facilities, boardwalk, lawn areas, and a gazebo on the lake. (Restroom facilities are also available.)
Foster City has one of the nicest 4th of July fireworks on the Peninsula, and with budget cutbacks in 2010 eliminating fireworks from many other communities, it drew a very large crowd. cityFEST (formerly the Arts and Wine Festival). A festival held annually in June.
1 5 Joy Restaurant, 1489 Beach Park Blvd, ☏ +1 650 345-1762. Chinese cuisine; Claims to have some of the best pot stickers in the Bay Area. 2 Edgewater Place Shopping Center, 901-999 Edgewater Blvd. While none of the restaurants here are particularly distinguished food-wise, several of them, including Boardwalk Pizza (pizza and mediterranean food) and Mr. Fong's (Chinese seafood and Dim Sum), feature outdoor or indoor seating with views over the lagoon. Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine, 1473 Beach Park Boulevard. Great Thai food that is a Foster city classic from curries to dry fried rice to noodles. (updated Dec 2023)
The Clubhouse Bistro Sports Bar Foster City, 1221 Chess Dr, ☏ +1 650-570-5700. The Clubhouse Bistro is a small suburban nightclub with a cocktail lounge and bistro restaurant. Located in the small part of Foster City north of 92; while undistinguished, it's the only such venue in this part of the peninsula.
Foster City has several hotels, mostly focused on mid-range corporate accommodation. 1 Courtyard San Mateo Foster City, 550 Shell Blvd, ☏ +1 650 377-0600, fax: +1 650 377-1983. $159–$199. 2 Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1221 Chess Dr, ☏ +1 650 570-5700, [email protected].
The only direct public transit to Foster City is via bus, either AC Transit (from the East Bay, there is express service from the Union City and Hayward BART stations) or SAMTrans (several routes.) There are also shuttles from the Hillsdale Caltrain station in San Mateo[1], although service has been cut back. It is also very readily accessible from Highway 92 (Foster City Boulevard and Edgewater/Mariner's Island) exits, and indirectly from Highway 101 (Hillsdale.)
Travel tips adapted from Foster City on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
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