Origin
Foster City, CA
Late night in Foster City on Sunday
Local time
1:03 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Foster City, CA to Fremont, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
23.1 mi
37 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 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Foster City, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Foster City to Fremont is a quick, straightforward 23.1-mile journey that typically takes about 28 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, as it connects two points within the Pacific Coast region of California. You can expect to spend approximately $5 on fuel, making it a budget-friendly commute or short-distance excursion. Because the drive is short, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics or complex planning. It is a highly practical trip that functions well for those looking for an efficient way to cross between these two areas.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| J Arthur Younger Freeway | 10.5 mi | 12m |
| I 880 | 8 mi | 8m |
| Mowry Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Shell Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Metro Center Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
J Arthur Younger Freeway
— 10.5 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Foster City, CA and Fremont, CA.
1
Start on Shell Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Shell Boulevard
Use the left / uturn / straight lanes.
2
Turn right onto Metro Center Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Metro Center Boulevard
Use the right lane.
3
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
Toward CA 92 East: San Mateo Bridge, Hayward
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto CA 92
10 mi
·
12 min
·
J Arthur Younger Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Exit 26A; 26B; 25B
Toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose, Hesperian Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 26A
Toward I 880 South: San Jose
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 880
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 17
Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn left
116 ft
·
3 sec
Use the left lane.
13
Turn straight onto Mowry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
14
Continue on Mowry Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Mowry Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Mowry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 21.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn left toward CA 92 East: San Mateo Bridge, Hayward
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward CA 92 East: San Mateo Bridge, Hayward
8
11.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose, Hesperian Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 26A; 26B; 25B
Toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose, Hesperian Boul...
8
11.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose
8
11.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 880 South: San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 26A
Toward I 880 South: San Jose
8
21.2 mi into trip
|
~24m 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
$5.31 one way
$10.62 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.47 | $10.94 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.62 | $11.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.10 | $10.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.1 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 | 6.9 | 0 | $2.43 | $1.11 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
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
Fremont, CA
Late night in Fremont on Sunday
Local time
1:03 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°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
1 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
28m 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?
This is a highway-focused drive, with 84% of your time spent on major thoroughfares. You will begin by navigating the J Arthur Younger Freeway, which offers the longest uninterrupted stretch of the trip at 10.5 miles. Eventually, you will transition onto I-880 before finishing your journey on Mowry Avenue. Expect a consistent, fast-paced experience rather than a winding scenic route, as the geography is defined by high-speed transit. The transition from freeway speeds to the local flow of Mowry Avenue marks the most significant change in your driving environment.
84% 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: 10.5 mi on J Arthur Younger Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on J Arthur Younger Freeway and I 880. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 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 23.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Foster City, CA to Fremont, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Jose along the way.
San Jose
11.1 mi in
|
~13m
About the Cities
Starting in Foster City, CA
Full guide →Founded 1971
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.
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 28m. Total distance: 23.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m 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 10.5 miles on J Arthur Younger 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 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: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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