Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Elk Grove, CA to Sacramento, CA

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

21m

Distance

15.5 mi

25 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 20m ★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 21m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in Sacramento County, California, United States

Elk Grove, CA

Wikimedia Commons

capital city of the U.S. state of California and seat of Sacramento County

Sacramento, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 15.5-mile drive from Elk Grove to Sacramento, California, will take you about 21 minutes. It's a straightforward trip primarily on the South Sacramento Freeway, with a small portion on L Street and Elk Grove Boulevard. With a fuel cost estimated at $4, this route is best experienced as a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. The highway-focused profile suggests a quick and efficient journey, making it a convenient option for local travel within the Pacific Coast region. You won't need to worry about extensive planning or multiple days for this brief commute.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Sacramento Freeway 11.4 mi 13m
L Street 1.1 mi 2m
Elk Grove Boulevard 0.8 mi 1m
I Street 0.5 mi 1m
Capital City Freeway 0.5 mi <1m
16th Street 0.2 mi <1m
30th Street 0.2 mi <1m
Melrose Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: South Sacramento Freeway — 11.4 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elk Grove, CA and Sacramento, CA.

1

Start on Elk Grove Florin Road

0.1 mi · 15 sec · Elk Grove Florin Road
2

Turn right onto Southside Avenue

365 ft · 18 sec · Southside Avenue
3

Turn right onto Melrose Avenue

0.1 mi · 32 sec · Melrose Avenue
4

Turn left onto E12

0.8 mi · 1 min · Elk Grove Boulevard
5

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Toward CA 99 North: Sacramento Use the right lane.
6

Merge onto CA 99

11 mi · 13 min · South Sacramento Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on Capital City Freeway

0.5 mi · 32 sec · Capital City Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 33 sec
Exit 7A Toward N Street Use the slight right lane.
9

Turn left onto 30th Street

0.2 mi · 23 sec · 30th Street
10

Turn left onto L Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · L Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
11

Turn right onto US 40 Historic

0.2 mi · 32 sec · 16th Street
12

Turn left onto I Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · I Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
13

Turn left onto 9th Street

71 ft · 1 sec · 9th Street
14

Arrive at destination

9th Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 13.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Southside Avenue

Turn right onto Southside Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | Melrose Avenue

Turn right onto Melrose Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward CA 99 North: Sacramento

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward CA 99 North: Sacramento
5
1.3 mi into trip | ~3m in | CA 99 / South Sacramento Freeway

Merge onto CA 99 / South Sacramento Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
13.2 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward N Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 7A Toward N Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.56 one way

$7.13 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $3.67 $7.34
premium $6.18 $3.77 $7.54
diesel $5.61 $3.42 $6.84

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.6 0 $1.63 $0.74
Efficient EV 3.9 0 $1.36 $0.62
EV Truck/SUV 6.2 0 $2.17 $0.99

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Elk Grove, CA

Late night in Elk Grove on Tuesday

Local time

2:20 AM

PDT

Current temp

74°F

Sunny

NNW 2 to 12 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 5:29AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 5:29AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Destination

Sacramento, CA

Late night in Sacramento on Tuesday

Local time

2:20 AM

PDT

Current temp

74°F

Sunny

NNW 2 to 13 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 5:29AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 5:29AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

21m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 this short hop, with 77% of the journey on freeway conditions. You'll experience a longest stretch of 11.4 miles on the South Sacramento Freeway, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of the trip. The transition onto Elk Grove Boulevard and L Street will introduce you to more local road conditions before you rejoin the freeway. This route prioritizes efficiency, minimizing time spent on slower, more complex roads.

77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.4 mi on South Sacramento Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South Sacramento Freeway and L Street. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Southside Avenue.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.5 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Southside Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Melrose Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Elk Grove, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1850

Elk Grove is a city of 176,000 people (2020) in Sacramento County in California. Elk Grove has many wineries, wine cellars, and vineyards.

Arriving in Sacramento, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1849

Sacramento is the state capital of California in the United States. It is the regional center for the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, which dominates much of the surrounding Sacramento Valley and stretches into parts of Gold Country. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, settled between the confluences of the Sacramento and American rivers. The city has been the site of many important historic events that have shaped California and U.S. history, most notably the California Gold Rush and location of the original terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Much of this historical legacy has been preserved, especially in the historic Old Sacramento district, where buildings and railroads from that era continue to attract visitors. However, Sacramento is not a city that is stuck in the past. As the capital of the most populous U.S.

Top landmarks

  • • California State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of California
  • • Crocker Art Museum — art museum in Sacramento, California
  • • Sacramento Valley Station — main railroad and light rail station in Sacramento, California

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 21m. Total distance: 15.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

21m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 11.4 miles on South Sacramento 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 Sacramento, 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 0.1 miles (Southside Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Melrose Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sacramento, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Sacramento, CA

San Diego, CA 504.8 mi · 9h 27m Thousand Palms, CA 497.3 mi · 9h 11m El Cerrito Corona, CA 433.2 mi · 8h 3m Bloomington, CA 432.3 mi · 7h 59m

More from Elk Grove, CA

Anaheim, CA 398.1 mi · 7h 26m Long Beach, CA 396.2 mi · 7h 24m Los Angeles, CA 372.1 mi · 6h 55m Bakersfield, CA 262.6 mi · 4h 57m Fresno, CA 155.7 mi · 3h 4m San Jose, CA 107.5 mi · 2h 13m

More trips to Sacramento, CA

Big River, CA 612.2 mi Blythe, CA 604.7 mi Calexico, CA 603.7 mi Holtville, CA 602.6 mi Heber, CA 601.9 mi Harbison Canyon, CA 519.2 mi
Escape planner: Elk Grove, CA Scenic drives in CA

Explore more options from Elk Grove, CA or browse trips ending in Sacramento, CA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.