Origin
Hayward, CA
Late night in Hayward on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hayward, CA to Fremont, 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
18m
Distance
13.1 mi
21 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hayward, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transit between Hayward and Fremont, this 13.1-mile drive is a straightforward commute that typically takes about 18 minutes. Since the entire trip stays within the Pacific Coast region of California, you will find it to be a simple, efficient connection rather than a sprawling excursion. One day is more than enough time to complete the journey, and you can easily budget around $3 for fuel to cover the distance. This route functions perfectly as a direct link between the two cities, making it a practical choice for those who need to get from point A to point B without unnecessary fuss. It is an ideal trip for travelers seeking a no-nonsense experience that prioritizes speed over sightseeing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 8 mi | 8m |
| Mowry Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Jackson Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Mission Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Watkins Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 8 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hayward, CA and Fremont, CA.
1
Start on Mission Boulevard
304 ft
·
11 sec
·
Mission Boulevard
2
Turn right
269 ft
·
21 sec
3
At end of road, turn right onto Watkins Street
93 ft
·
4 sec
·
Watkins Street
4
Turn left onto CA 92
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Jackson Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 26A
Toward I 880 South: San Jose
Use the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 880
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 17
Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left
116 ft
·
3 sec
Use the left lane.
11
Turn straight onto Mowry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
12
Continue on Mowry Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Mowry Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Mowry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 1.7 and 11.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 880 South: San Jose
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 26A
Toward I 880 South: San Jose
6
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m 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
5.6 mi into trip
|
~8m 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
11.2 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
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 17
Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
6
11.4 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.01 one way
$6.02 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.10 | $6.21 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.19 | $6.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.89 | $5.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.38 | $0.63 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.83 | $0.84 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Fremont, CA
Late night in Fremont on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°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
19 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
18m 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 highway-focused drive as you navigate your way between these two cities. Roughly 70% of your time behind the wheel will be spent on major thoroughfares, most notably I-880, which serves as the backbone of your journey. You will tackle an 8-mile stretch on I-880, providing the longest uninterrupted segment of the trip before transitioning to local roads like Jackson Street and Mowry Avenue. The road personality here is functional and fast-paced, shifting from the high-speed rhythm of the interstate into the more controlled environment of city streets as you approach your destination. It is a predictable, efficient experience that gets you where you need to go with minimal complexity.
70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on I 880.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and Mowry Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 miles in.
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 9 decision points packed into just 13.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
105 ft
17 ft
Total Climb
65 ft
Total Descent
116 ft
Highest Point
105 ft
Elevation Range
88 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Hayward, CA
Full guide →Founded 1876
Hayward is a city in the inner East Bay in the San Francisco Bay Area region of California located next to the San Francisco Bay. Hayward is located near premier tourist locations (San Francisco), first rate educational institutions (Berkeley and Stanford), and an economic powerhouse (Silicon Valley), however relatively speaking Hayward does not have as much to offer as its neighbors. Even so, its central location may make it a very economical home base for tourists and commuters, and its panoramic views of the Bay alone are worth the side trip for visitors. On paper, the landscape of this city of 163,000 people (2020) sounds nearly perfect. Hayward boasts of a central bay shoreline, a quaint city center with a small town feel in the city flatlands, hills which overlook the bay, and a hub of highways that connect everywhere in the bay area to the inland areas of California.
Arriving 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
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 18m. Total distance: 13.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8 miles on I 880. 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 Fremont, 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 1.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. 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 Fremont, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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