Origin
Fremont, CA
Late night in Fremont on Tuesday
Local time
3:39 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fremont, CA to San Rafael, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 2m
Distance
48.4 mi
78 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Rafael, CA
David McElwee
Trip Overview
Fremont to San Rafael is 48.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 2 minutes via I 880 and John T. Knox Freeway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within California, traversing the Pacific Coast region on both ends. The drive is predominantly highway, making it a straightforward and efficient commute. If you're looking for a quick, no-fuss transit between these two Bay Area locations, this route fits the bill perfectly.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 17.8 mi | 20m |
| John T. Knox Freeway | 12.9 mi | 17m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 10.6 mi | 13m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Mowry Avenue | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Fourth Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Redwood Highway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Irwin Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 17.8 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fremont, CA and San Rafael, 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
18 mi
·
20 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 880
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Exit 46B
Toward I 80 East, I 580 West: San Rafael, Sacramento
8
Continue on I 80; I 580
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
13 mi
·
17 min
·
John T. Knox Freeway
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 1A
Toward US 101 North: San Rafeal
11
Merge onto US 101
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Redwood Highway
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 452
Toward Central San Rafael
Use the slight right lane.
13
Continue on Irwin Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Irwin Street
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn left onto Fourth Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Fourth Street
Use the left lane.
15
Arrive at destination
Fourth Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from Fremont, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 8.1 and 47.4 — 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.
6
26 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
33.5 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
6
46.3 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 101 North: San Rafeal
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 1A
Toward US 101 North: San Rafeal
7
47.4 mi into trip
|
~59m in
Take the exit toward Central San Rafael
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 452
Toward Central San Rafael
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.12 one way
$22.25 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.46 | $22.93 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.77 | $23.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.69 | $21.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.08 | $2.32 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.78 | $3.10 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
San Rafael, CA
Late night in San Rafael on Tuesday
Local time
3:39 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°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
10 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
1h 2m 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 to spend about 92% of your 1 hour 2 minute drive on the highway, primarily on I 880 and the John T. Knox Freeway. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 17.8 miles, likely on I 880. You'll encounter a high density of exits and merging traffic typical of major freeways in urban and suburban areas. The transition to surface roads will occur as you approach your destination in San Rafael.
92% 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: 17.8 mi on I 880.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and John T. Knox 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
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.4 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 8.1 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.5 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): 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 Fremont, CA to San Rafael, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Sacramento along the way.
Sacramento
28.2 mi in
|
~34m
|
via I 880
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 San Rafael, CA
Full guide →Historically home to one of California's original Spanish missions, San Rafael is now a mid-sized Bay Area commuter town with beautiful hills, peaceful nature, interesting architecture, and a bustling downtown area centered around 4th Street. San Rafael is the cultural and political center of Marin County, and offers its own set of attractions as well as easy access to other parts of the county.
Top landmarks
- • Marin County Civic Center — building in California, designed by F.L.Wright
- • Marin Museum of Contemporary Art — contemporary art museum in California, U.S.
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 1h 2m. Total distance: 48.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.8 miles on I 880. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 San Rafael, 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 26 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.5 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, Muir Woods National Monument and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (6 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 San Rafael, 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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