Origin
Daly City, CA
Late night in Daly City on Sunday
Local time
4:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Daly City, CA to Redwood City, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
23.4 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Daly City, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Redwood City, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
This straightforward 23.4-mile drive from Daly City to Redwood City in California is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 31 minutes. Primarily utilizing the Bayshore Freeway and Junipero Serra Freeway (I-380), this route is heavily highway-focused, with 85% of the journey on freeways. The estimated fuel cost for this short hop is around $5, making it an economical option. Given its brevity and highway nature, it's a practical choice for a quick transfer or a segment of a larger Pacific Coast journey without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bayshore Freeway | 12.9 mi | 14m |
| Junipero Serra Freeway | 5.5 mi | 6m |
| I 380 | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Veterans Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| John Daly Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Brewster Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Hillcrest Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Santa Barbara Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bayshore Freeway
— 12.9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Daly City, CA and Redwood City, CA.
1
Start on Hillcrest Drive
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
Hillcrest Drive
2
Turn left onto Santa Barbara Avenue
393 ft
·
20 sec
·
Santa Barbara Avenue
3
Turn right onto John Daly Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
John Daly Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 280 South, CA 1: San Jose
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 280
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Junipero Serra Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 280
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Junipero Serra Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit onto I 380
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
I 380
Exit 43A
Toward I 380: San Francisco International Airport
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 6A
Toward US 101 South: San Jose, San Francisco International Airport
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 101
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 409
Toward Whipple Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on Veterans Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Veterans Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn right onto Brewster Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Brewster Avenue
14
Turn left
477 ft
·
20 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 22 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 280 South, CA 1: San Jose
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 280 South, CA 1: San Jose
7
6.6 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 380
Take the exit onto I 380 toward I 380: San Francisco International Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 43A
Toward I 380: San Francisco International Airpo...
8
8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward US 101 South: San Jose, San Francisco International Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6A
Toward US 101 South: San Jose, San Francisco In...
7
8.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 101 South: San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
7
22 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Whipple Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 409
Toward Whipple Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.38 one way
$10.76 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.54 | $11.08 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.69 | $11.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.17 | $10.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Redwood City, CA
Late night in Redwood City on Sunday
Local time
4:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
18 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
31m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highway-focused drive for the majority of this route, with 85% of the 23.4 miles on freeways like the Bayshore Freeway and Junipero Serra Freeway. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 12.9 miles on the Bayshore Freeway, offering a consistent pace. While primarily a freeway experience, the transition onto and off these main roads will involve local connections. The overall feel is one of efficient transit rather than scenic exploration, designed for steady progress between these two Pacific Coast cities.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.9 mi on Bayshore Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bayshore Freeway and Junipero Serra Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 23.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.6 miles (I 380): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Daly City, CA to Redwood City, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Francisco International Airport along the way.
San Francisco International Airport
8 mi in
|
~10m
About the Cities
Starting in Daly City, CA
Full guide →Daly City is a city in northernmost part of San Mateo County on the Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, directly south of San Francisco proper.
Arriving in Redwood City, CA
Full guide →Redwood City is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
Top landmarks
- • Lathrop House — Historic building in Redwood City, California constructed by Benjamin Gordon Lat...
- • Fox Theatre — movie theater in Redwood City, California, United States
- • Sequoia High School — high school in Redwood City, San Mateo County, California, USA
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 23.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.9 miles on Bayshore Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Redwood City, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.6 miles (I 380): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Redwood City, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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