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Trip from Emeryville, CA to Fremont, CA

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

Drive Time

38m

Distance

28.9 mi

47 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 35m ★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Alameda County, California, United States

Emeryville, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Emeryville to Fremont covers a 28.9-mile span through the Pacific Coast region of California. You can expect the journey to take approximately 38 minutes under normal traffic conditions. Because this is a short, direct trip, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. With a fuel cost estimate of $7, the drive is budget-friendly and straightforward for commuters or weekend travelers. Navigating the route primarily involves taking I-880, also known as the Nimitz Freeway, before transitioning onto local surface streets like Mowry Avenue. It is a practical, no-nonsense path that efficiently connects two major hubs within the East Bay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 880 13.6 mi 14m
Nimitz Freeway 10.4 mi 12m
Mowry Avenue 1.6 mi 3m
San Pablo Avenue 1.2 mi 2m
John B. Williams Freeway 0.4 mi <1m
Brush Street 0.3 mi <1m
40th Street 0.2 mi <1m
Harlan Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 880 — 13.6 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Emeryville, CA and Fremont, CA.

1

Start on Park Avenue

466 ft · 22 sec · Park Avenue
2

Turn right onto Harlan Street

473 ft · 22 sec · Harlan Street
3

Turn left onto 40th Street

0.2 mi · 43 sec · 40th Street
4

Turn right onto CA 123

1.2 mi · 2 min · San Pablo Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Turn right onto Brush Street

0.3 mi · 54 sec · Brush Street
Use the right lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 46 sec
Toward I 980 West
7

Merge onto I 980

0.4 mi · 38 sec · John B. Williams Freeway
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 36 sec
Exit 1A Toward I 880 South: San Jose
9

Merge onto I 880

10 mi · 12 min · Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

5.6 mi · 6 min · I 880
Use the slight left lane.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

2.4 mi · 2 min · I 880
Use the slight left lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

5.6 mi · 6 min · I 880
Use the slight left lane.
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Exit 17 Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Turn left

116 ft · 3 sec
Use the left lane.
15

Turn straight onto Mowry Avenue

0.1 mi · 10 sec · Mowry Avenue
16

Continue on Mowry Avenue

1.5 mi · 2 min · Mowry Avenue
17

Arrive at destination

Mowry Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 27 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue

Turn right onto CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
2.7 mi into trip | ~6m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 880 South: San Jose

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 1A Toward I 880 South: San Jose
6
13.5 mi into trip | ~19m in | I 880

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
6
19.1 mi into trip | ~26m in | I 880

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
8
27 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont

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 17 Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.64 one way

$13.28 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $6.84 $13.69
premium $6.18 $7.03 $14.06
diesel $5.61 $6.38 $12.76

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.7 0 $3.03 $1.39
Efficient EV 7.2 0 $2.53 $1.16
EV Truck/SUV 11.6 0 $4.05 $1.85

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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 12, 2026

Origin

Emeryville, CA

Late night in Emeryville on Tuesday

Local time

5:17 AM

PDT

Current temp

61°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 13 mph 83% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 6:50AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 6:49AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Destination

Fremont, CA

Late night in Fremont on Tuesday

Local time

5:17 AM

PDT

Current temp

60°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 8 to 14 mph 77% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 6:50AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 6:49AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford 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

1 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

38m 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?

This trip is essentially a highway-focused drive, with 84% of your time spent on major thoroughfares. You will experience a consistent interstate pace for the majority of the journey, featuring a longest uninterrupted stretch of 13.6 miles along I-880. While the drive starts with high-speed highway travel, the character of the road shifts as you exit the Nimitz Freeway to navigate local roads for the final leg of your trip. Expect a functional, high-traffic environment rather than a scenic, winding backroad. Staying focused is essential as you transition from the fast-moving lanes of the interstate into the more controlled, urban flow of Fremont’s local grid.

84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.6 mi on I 880.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue.

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 13 decision points packed into just 28.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.5 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

68 ft 11 ft

Total Climb

135 ft

Total Descent

105 ft

Highest Point

68 ft

~16.9 mi in

Elevation Range

57 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Emeryville, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1896

Arriving in Fremont, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1956

Fremont is a suburban city in the southern part of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area by population. Fremont is in the southern part of Alameda County, California, between Union City to the north, Sunol and the hills to the east, Milpitas and Santa Clara County to the south, and the San Francisco Bay to the west. The city of Newark, near the edge of the Bay, is surrounded by the city of Fremont. Fremont industry is not particularly large relative to other parts of the Bay Area, but neither is it a bedroom community. Many people in Fremont work locally in the electronics and high-tech industry, while many others commute to Silicon Valley or San Francisco locations for work.

Top landmarks

  • • Mission San José — 18th-century Spanish mission in Fremont, California
  • • Ardenwood Historic Farm — human settlement in California, United States of America
  • • Niles Depot Museum — railway museum in Niles, 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 38m. Total distance: 28.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

38m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 13.6 miles on I 880. 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 Fremont, 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 0.4 miles (CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.5 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (5 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fremont, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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