Foster City, CA Road Trips
Foster City, CA serves as a quiet starting point in the Pacific Coast, connecting drivers to 4 outbound routes across the area. The route mix is balanced, with options ranging from 23-mile quick runs to 422-mile cross-state drives. Most routes from Foster City, CA head east, giving the route network a clear directional lean.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
6
Longest Drive
492 mi
San Diego, CA
Quickest Drive
28m
Fremont, 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 211 miles and about 3h 59m behind the wheel when leaving Foster City, CA. There is a healthy spread of short hops, medium drives, and longer road trips to pick from. The longest mapped route runs 422 miles (7h 58m), while the shortest is just 23 miles.
Popular Destinations
The most popular drives from Foster City, CA include Riverside, CA (422.1 mi, 7h 58m), Los Angeles, CA (370.8 mi, 6h 54m), San Jose, CA (28.8 mi, 36m), and Fremont, CA (23.1 mi, 28m). Most destinations stay within the same state, perfect for exploring the local region thoroughly.
Planning & Costs
For the average 211-mile drive from Foster City, CA, expect to burn about 8.3 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. Most trips take a half-day, so a morning start gets you there in time for lunch or an afternoon of exploring.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 4 mapped routes leaving Foster City, CA and 2 routes heading into Foster City, CA, covering 6 total connections. Distances range from 23 to 422 miles.
The longest mapped route from Foster City, CA covers 422 miles and takes approximately 7h 58m. Shorter options start at just 23 miles.
The average route from Foster City, CA runs about 211 miles with a drive time of roughly 3h 59m. This includes both short day trips and longer multi-day drives.
The most popular road trip destinations from Foster City, CA include Riverside, CA, Los Angeles, CA, San Jose, CA and Fremont, 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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