Origin
Hayward, CA
Late night in Hayward on Tuesday
Local time
3:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hayward, CA to Oakland, 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
22m
Distance
15.9 mi
26 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hayward, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick commute between Hayward and Oakland, this 15.9-mile trip is a straightforward transit within the Pacific Coast region. You can expect a driving time of approximately 22 minutes under normal conditions, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. Budgeting about $4 for fuel will cover your transit costs for this short journey. By utilizing Winton Avenue and Jackson Street to connect to the major corridors, you keep your travel time minimal. Whether you are heading into the city for work or a quick outing, this route is built for efficiency rather than leisure.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nimitz Freeway | 13 mi | 14m |
| Winton Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Jackson Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Oak Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 12th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 14th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Harrison Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Mission Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Nimitz Freeway
— 13 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hayward, CA and Oakland, 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
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Jackson Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
Turn slight right
177 ft
·
8 sec
6
Continue on Winton Avenue
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Winton Avenue
Use the straight lane.
7
At end of road, turn left onto Winton Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Winton Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
8
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
Use the straight lane.
9
Merge onto I 880
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 41A
Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Oak Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Oak Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto 12th Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
12th Street
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn right onto Harrison Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Harrison Street
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto 14th Street
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
·
14th Street
15
Arrive at destination
14th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 15.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Watkins Street
At end of road, turn right onto Watkins Street
Navigation decision point
8
14.7 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
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 41A
Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
6
15.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
12th Street
Turn left onto 12th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
15.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Harrison Street
Turn right onto Harrison Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.65 one way
$7.31 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.77 | $7.53 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.87 | $7.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.51 | $7.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.23 | $1.02 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Oakland, CA
Late night in Oakland on Tuesday
Local time
3:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Sunny
NNW 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Lake Wind Advisory
Lake Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 16 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
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
4 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
22m 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?
This is a highway-focused drive, with 82% of your travel occurring on the Nimitz Freeway. You will spend the bulk of your time on this primary artery, which includes a longest uninterrupted stretch of 13 miles. The personality of this road is defined by its utility, favoring high-speed transit over winding scenic paths. Transitioning from local streets like Winton Avenue onto the main freeway allows for a consistent pace throughout the 22-minute duration. Expect a functional, direct experience that prioritizes getting you to your destination quickly.
82% 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: 13 mi on Nimitz Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Nimitz Freeway and Winton Avenue. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.9 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Watkins Street): Navigation decision point; at 14.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
105 ft
11 ft
Total Climb
63 ft
Total Descent
125 ft
Highest Point
105 ft
Elevation Range
94 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 Oakland, CA
Full guide →Founded 1852
Oakland is a port city in the Bay Area of California in the United States. Once an industrial area overshadowed by San Francisco, its larger neighbor to the west, this city of 440,000 people (2020) has begun to step out from under San Francisco's shadow with its notable natural and architectural features and its rise as the multicultural "hipster" city of the Bay Area.
Top landmarks
- • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge — suspension bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland, California, USA
- • Lake Merritt — lagoon in Oakland, California, USA
- • Oakland Museum of California — art museum in Oakland, 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 22m. Total distance: 15.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13 miles on Nimitz 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 Oakland, 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 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Watkins Street): Navigation decision point; at 14.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Oakland, 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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