Origin
Half Moon Bay, CA
Late night in Half Moon Bay on Sunday
Local time
12:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Half Moon Bay, CA to San Francisco, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
29.7 mi
48 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Half Moon Bay, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Half Moon Bay to San Francisco is a quick, straightforward journey spanning 29.7 miles. You can comfortably complete this trip in about 39 minutes, making it a perfect day trip that requires no overnight stay. The route primarily utilizes Main Street, San Mateo Road, and Half Moon Bay Road, keeping you within the Pacific Coast region for the duration of the drive. With an estimated fuel cost of $4, it is an economical commute that doesn't demand significant logistical planning. Whether you are heading into the city for business or leisure, this short distance offers plenty of flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Junipero Serra Freeway | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| Bayshore Freeway | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| San Mateo Road | 4.9 mi | 8m |
| James Lick Freeway | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Half Moon Bay Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Quentin L. Kopp Freeway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Skyline Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Central Freeway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Junipero Serra Freeway
— 8.2 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Half Moon Bay, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on Kelly Street
192 ft
·
9 sec
·
Kelly Street
2
Turn right onto Main Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto CA 92
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
San Mateo Road
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on CA 92; CA 35
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Half Moon Bay Road
5
Turn left onto CA 35
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Skyline Boulevard
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto CA 35
468 ft
·
14 sec
·
Bunker Hill Drive
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 280 North, CA 35 North: San Francisco
Use the straight lane.
8
Merge onto I 280; CA 35
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Junipero Serra Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 43B
Toward I 380 East: San Francisco International Airport
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 380
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Quentin L. Kopp Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 6B
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
12
Merge onto US 101
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on US 101
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
James Lick Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on US 101
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Freeway
Toward Civic Center, Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
18
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 16.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CA 92 / San Mateo Road
Turn right onto CA 92 / San Mateo Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
7.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
CA 35 / Skyline Boulevard
Turn left onto CA 35 / Skyline Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
8.2 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
CA 35 / Bunker Hill Drive
Turn right onto CA 35 / Bunker Hill Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
8.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the ramp toward I 280 North, CA 35 North: San Francisco
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 280 North, CA 35 North: San Francisco
7
16.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward I 380 East: San Francisco International Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 43B
Toward I 380 East: San Francisco International...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.83 one way
$13.65 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.03 | $14.07 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.22 | $14.45 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.56 | $13.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.16 | $1.90 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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 Sunday
Local time
12:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°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
15 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
42m 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 a turn-heavy, local driving experience that keeps you off the major interstates entirely. Since 0% of this 29.7-mile route is on a highway, you will navigate through local roads rather than cruising at high speeds. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 0 miles on Main Street, indicating that you should prepare for frequent turns and a more engaged driving pace. This path lacks the monotony of long-haul highway driving, instead offering a more technical feel as you transition between the coastal environment of Half Moon Bay and the urban landscape of San Francisco.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.2 mi on Junipero Serra Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Junipero Serra Freeway and Bayshore Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near CA 92 / San Mateo Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 29.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CA 92 / San Mateo Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (CA 35 / Skyline Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles (CA 35 / Bunker Hill Drive): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Half Moon Bay, CA to San Francisco, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Civic Center along the way.
Civic Center
28.1 mi in
|
~39m
|
via US 101
About the Cities
Arriving in San Francisco, CA
Full guide →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.
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 42m. Total distance: 29.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.2 miles on Junipero Serra 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 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 0.3 miles (CA 92 / San Mateo Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (CA 35 / Skyline Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles (CA 35 / Bunker Hill Drive): Lane positioning matters here.
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 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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