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Trip from Green Valley, CA to Sacramento, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

59m

Distance

48.3 mi

78 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 55m ★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m

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

Downtown Green Valley, CA, CA

Green Valley, CA

Yuanpang Wa

capital city of the U.S. state of California and seat of Sacramento County

Sacramento, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 48.3-mile drive from Green Valley, CA to Sacramento, CA is designed for a single day, taking approximately 59 minutes to complete. You'll navigate primarily on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and Rockville Road before reaching the Yolo Causeway. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $11, this trip is budget-friendly for a quick journey. The route offers a practical, turn-heavy local feel, making it an easy addition to your California travels within the Pacific Coast region. Given its short duration, no overnight stay is necessary.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 34.1 mi 39m
Rockville Road 4.4 mi 7m
Yolo Causeway 3.7 mi 4m
Capital City Freeway 3.3 mi 3m
Westside Freeway 0.6 mi <1m
H Street 0.3 mi <1m
Suisun Parkway 0.3 mi <1m
J Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway — 34.1 mi, about 39m

Traffic on I-5

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 30 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~6,669 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~605 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

11×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 21 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Green Valley, CA and Sacramento, CA.

1

Start on Rockville Road

4.4 mi · 7 min · Rockville Road
2

Enter roundabout onto Abernathy Road

28 ft · 0 sec · Abernathy Road
3

Continue on Abernathy Road

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Abernathy Road
4

Turn left onto Suisun Parkway

0.3 mi · 41 sec · Suisun Parkway
Use the left lane.
5

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward I 80 East Use the left lane.
6

Merge onto I 80

26 mi · 29 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

8.4 mi · 9 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on I 80

3.7 mi · 4 min · Yolo Causeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto US 50; I 80 Business

3.3 mi · 3 min · Capital City Freeway
Exit 82 Toward Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 13 sec
Exit 4A Toward I 5 North, I 5 South: Redding, Los Angeles Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Exit 4A Toward I 5 North: Redding Use the slight left lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 14 sec
Exit 4A Toward I 5 North: Redding
13

Merge onto I 5

0.6 mi · 44 sec · Westside Freeway
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Exit 519B Toward J Street, Downtown Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Turn right onto J Street

0.2 mi · 25 sec · J Street
16

Turn left onto 5th Street

0.2 mi · 19 sec · 5th Street
Use the straight lane.
17

Turn right onto H Street

0.3 mi · 40 sec · H Street
18

Turn right onto 9th Street

490 ft · 15 sec · 9th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
19

Arrive at destination

9th Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Solano County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Suisun, CA

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

Suisun, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Winters, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from Green Valley, 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.8 and 47.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
4.8 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the ramp toward I 80 East

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 80 East
9
42.8 mi into trip | ~52m in | US 50; I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto US 50; I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway toward Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 82 Toward Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe
8
46.1 mi into trip | ~55m in

Take the exit toward I 5 North, I 5 South: Redding, Los Angeles

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 4A Toward I 5 North, I 5 South: Redding, Los Angel...
9
46.3 mi into trip | ~56m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 North: Redding

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Exit 4A Toward I 5 North: Redding
8
47.4 mi into trip | ~57m in

Take the exit toward J Street, Downtown

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 519B Toward J Street, Downtown

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.95 one way

$21.89 round trip

$5.76/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.96 $11.33 $22.65
premium $6.09 $11.58 $23.17
diesel $5.40 $10.27 $20.55

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, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.5 0 $5.07 $2.32
Efficient EV 12.1 0 $4.23 $1.93
EV Truck/SUV 19.3 0 $6.76 $3.09

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.

Forecast as of Apr 14, 2026

Origin

Green Valley, CA

Evening in Green Valley on Saturday

Local time

6:19 PM

PDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Sacramento, CA

Evening in Sacramento on Saturday

Local time

6:19 PM

PDT

Current temp

69°F

Patchy Fog then Sunny

S 2 to 6 mph 1% chance 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

19 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

59m 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?

Expect a drive with a 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, meaning you'll encounter numerous intersections and changes in direction. While 9% of the journey is on highways, the majority unfolds on local roads. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be 34.1 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, offering a brief period of consistent travel before the local roads resume. This route isn't a monotonous interstate cruise; rather, it's a more engaged driving experience with frequent adjustments.

Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 34.1 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower 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 4.8 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 16 decision points packed into just 48.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 4.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 42.8 miles (US 50; I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.

On the drive from Green Valley, CA to Sacramento, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Lake Tahoe along the way.

Lake Tahoe

42.8 mi in | ~52m | via US 50; I 80 Business

About the Cities

Arriving in Sacramento, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1849

Sacramento is the state capital of California in the United States. It is the regional center for the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, which dominates much of the surrounding Sacramento Valley and stretches into parts of Gold Country. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, settled between the confluences of the Sacramento and American rivers. The city has been the site of many important historic events that have shaped California and U.S. history, most notably the California Gold Rush and location of the original terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Much of this historical legacy has been preserved, especially in the historic Old Sacramento district, where buildings and railroads from that era continue to attract visitors. However, Sacramento is not a city that is stuck in the past. As the capital of the most populous U.S.

Top landmarks

  • California State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of California
  • Crocker Art Museum — art museum in Sacramento, California
  • Sacramento Valley Station — main railroad and light rail station in Sacramento, 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 59m. Total distance: 48.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

59m 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 34.1 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. 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 Sacramento, 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 4.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 42.8 miles (US 50; I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial and Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park. 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 Sacramento, 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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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