Origin
Fremont, CA
Late night in Fremont on Sunday
Local time
1:03 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fremont, CA to Foster 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
30m
Distance
23.8 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 28m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
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
Spanning just 23.8 miles, this quick trip from Fremont to Foster City is a straightforward transit across the Pacific Coast region. You can expect to complete the journey in about 30 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a modest fuel budget of $6, it is a highly economical drive for commuters or casual travelers. You will primarily utilize the Nimitz Freeway, Mowry Avenue, and CA 92 to navigate between these two California hubs. Because the total duration is so short, you have the flexibility to plan your departure around your own schedule without needing to account for lengthy rest breaks.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 92 | 11.5 mi | 13m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| Mowry Avenue | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| I 880 | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Foster City Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Civic Center Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Shell Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Chess Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 92
— 11.5 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fremont, CA and Foster City, CA.
1
Start on Mowry Avenue
109 ft
·
4 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
2
Continue on Mowry Avenue
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Mowry Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
4
Merge onto I 880
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
6
Take the exit onto I 880
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
526 ft
·
6 sec
Exit 27
Toward CA 92 West, CA 92 East: San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Downtown, Jackson Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
Toward CA 92 West: San Mateo Bridge, San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Chabot College
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto CA 92
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
CA 92
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 92
528 ft
·
6 sec
·
CA 92
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 92
7.8 mi
·
8 min
·
CA 92
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 14B
Toward Foster City Boulevard, East Hillsdale Boulevard, Third Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork
406 ft
·
5 sec
Toward Foster City Boulevard, East Hillsdale Boulevard, Third Avenue
Use the right lane.
14
Turn straight onto Chess Drive
123 ft
·
2 sec
·
Chess Drive
15
Turn right onto Foster City Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Foster City Boulevard
Use the left / uturn lanes.
16
Turn right onto Civic Center Drive
206 ft
·
9 sec
·
Civic Center Drive
17
Enter roundabout onto Civic Center Drive
86 ft
·
4 sec
·
Civic Center Drive
18
Continue on Civic Center Drive
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Civic Center Drive
19
At end of road, turn right onto Shell Boulevard
311 ft
·
6 sec
·
Shell Boulevard
20
Arrive at destination
Shell Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 8.1 and 22.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
8.1 mi into trip
|
~11m 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
10.6 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward CA 92 West, CA 92 East: San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Downtown, Jackson Street
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 27
Toward CA 92 West, CA 92 East: San Mateo, Half...
8
10.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 92 West: San Mateo Bridge, San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Chabot College
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward CA 92 West: San Mateo Bridge, San Mateo,...
8
22.7 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward Foster City Boulevard, East Hillsdale Boulevard, Third Avenue
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 14B
Toward Foster City Boulevard, East Hillsdale Bo...
9
22.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Foster City Boulevard, East Hillsdale Boulevard, Third Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward Foster City Boulevard, East Hillsdale Bo...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.47 one way
$10.94 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.64 | $11.27 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.79 | $11.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.25 | $10.51 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.50 | $1.14 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.08 | $0.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.33 | $1.52 |
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
Foster City, CA
Late night in Foster City on Sunday
Local time
1:03 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
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
30m 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 highway-focused route is defined by its efficiency, with 86% of the journey spent on major roads. You will settle into a steady rhythm on the pavement, particularly during the longest uninterrupted stretch of 11.5 miles found on CA 92. While the drive shifts from local streets like Mowry Avenue onto the faster Nimitz Freeway, the overall feel remains consistent and functional rather than technical. Expect a predictable experience behind the wheel that prioritizes speed and direct connectivity. The transition between these road types is smooth, allowing you to maintain a steady pace throughout the brief half-hour transit.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.5 mi on CA 92.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 92 and Nimitz Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8.1 miles in near I 880.
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 16 decision points packed into just 23.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.1 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.7 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.
Between Fremont, CA and Foster City, CA, road signs point toward Half Moon Bay, Downtown, San Mateo and Chabot College.
Half Moon Bay
10.6 mi in
|
~13m
Downtown
10.6 mi in
|
~13m
San Mateo
10.7 mi in
|
~14m
Chabot College
10.7 mi in
|
~14m
About the Cities
Starting 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
Arriving 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.
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 30m. Total distance: 23.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.5 miles on CA 92. 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 Foster 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 8.1 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.7 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 Foster 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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