Origin
Graton, CA
Late night in Graton on Tuesday
Local time
3:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Graton, CA to San Francisco, 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 23m
Distance
59.2 mi
95 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$14
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Graton, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Graton to San Francisco is 59.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 23 minutes via Redwood Highway, with a fuel budget near $14 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive takes you from the Pacific Coast region of California to another part of the same region. Most of this trip will be on surface roads, so expect a more relaxed pace than a pure freeway journey. It's a straightforward trip that's easy to manage, making it ideal for a single-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Highway | 39.9 mi | 48m |
| Gravenstein Highway | 7.6 mi | 11m |
| Gravenstein Highway North | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Golden Gate Bridge | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Presidio Parkway | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Webster Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Divisadero Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Redwood Highway
— 39.9 mi, about 48m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Graton, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on Graton Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Graton Road
2
Turn right onto CA 116
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Gravenstein Highway North
3
Continue on CA 116
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Healdsburg Avenue
4
Continue on CA 116
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on CA 116
7.6 mi
·
11 min
·
Gravenstein Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp onto CA 116
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
CA 116
Toward US 101 South: San Francisco
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto US 101; CA 116
30 mi
·
34 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
10 mi
·
13 min
·
Redwood Highway
Toward US 101: San Francisco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on US 101
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden Gate Bridge
10
Merge
34 ft
·
0 sec
11
Keep slight left at fork
130 ft
·
1 sec
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
13
Continue on US 101; CA 1
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Presidio Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on US 101
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Richardson Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Continue on US 101
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Lombard Street
16
Turn right onto Divisadero Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Divisadero Street
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto California Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
California Street
18
Turn right onto Webster Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Webster Street
Use the straight lane.
19
Turn left onto Oak Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Oak Street
Use the left lane.
20
Turn right onto Gough Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Gough Street
21
Turn slight left onto Market Street
183 ft
·
15 sec
·
Market Street
Use the slight left lane.
22
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
23
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.6 miles from Graton, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 12.2 and 58.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
12.2 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
CA 116
Take the ramp onto CA 116 toward US 101 South: San Francisco
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward US 101 South: San Francisco
7
42.1 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
US 101 / Redwood Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101 / Redwood Highway toward US 101: San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 101: San Francisco
6
56.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
Divisadero Street
Turn right onto Divisadero Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
57.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
|
Webster Street
Turn right onto Webster Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
58.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 21m in
|
Oak Street
Turn left onto Oak Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.61 one way
$27.21 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $14.02 | $28.04 |
| premium | $6.18 | $14.40 | $28.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.07 | $26.14 |
Estimated Tolls: $9.00
Golden Gate Bridge
$9.00
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$14
Tolls
$9
Total
$23
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.22 | $2.84 |
| Efficient EV | 14.8 | 0 | $5.18 | $2.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.7 | 0 | $8.29 | $3.79 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (67% 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 Francisco, CA
Late night in San Francisco on Tuesday
Local time
3:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
59°F
San Rafael, CA
30 mi in
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
1h 23m 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?
You'll spend about 39.9 miles on the Redwood Highway before transitioning to surface roads. With a highway share of 3 out of 10, this route primarily uses local roads. The longest stretch on a single main road is 39.9 miles on the Redwood Highway. Expect to encounter more frequent intersections and varying speed limits as you move away from the highway.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 39.9 mi on Redwood Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12.2 miles in near CA 116.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 59.2 miles you will encounter 14 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 12.2 miles (CA 116): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.1 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 56.2 miles (Divisadero Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in San Francisco, CA
Full guide →“Frisco” · Founded 1776
The centerpiece of the Bay Area, San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the world, and with good reason. The cultural center of northern California, San Francisco is renowned for its mixture of scenic beauty and unique culture that makes it one of the most vibrant and desirable cities in the nation, if not the world. Sandwiched between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on a small square of land seven miles (11 km) on each side, San Francisco offers a wealth of treasures for the visitor, from the windswept and often foggy bay to the steep hills lined with Victorian homes that overlook the spectacular scenery of the city.
Top landmarks
- • Golden Gate Bridge — suspension bridge on the San Francisco Bay
- • Alcatraz Island — island in San Francisco, California, United States of America
- • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge — suspension bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland, California, USA
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 23m. Total distance: 59.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 39.9 miles on Redwood Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $9.00 in tolls one way, starting with Golden Gate Bridge. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Francisco, 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 12.2 miles (CA 116): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.1 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 56.2 miles (Divisadero Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Muir Woods National Monument and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (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 Francisco, 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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