Origin
Hercules, CA
Late night in Hercules on Sunday
Local time
12:49 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hercules, CA to San Bernardino, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
8h 7m
Distance
436.2 mi
702 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$99
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
8h 0m
★
6 AM
8h 8m
8 AM
8h 24m
10 AM
8h 14m
12 PM
8h 12m
3 PM
8h 14m
5 PM
8h 23m
8 PM
8h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hercules, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Bernardino, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Hercules, CA to San Bernardino, CA is 436.2 miles and takes about 8h 7m via Westside Freeway and Foothill Freeway, with a fuel budget near $99 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive primarily covers ground within California, transitioning from the Pacific Coast region towards the inland areas. It's a substantial trip that leans heavily on freeway travel, making it a straightforward option for those prioritizing efficiency. Consider this route if you're looking for a direct path across a good portion of the state with minimal complexity.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
218.1 miles from Hercules, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 1m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Westside Freeway | 224.4 mi | 4h |
| Foothill Freeway | 73.7 mi | 1h 24m |
| I 5 Truck | 58.4 mi | 1h 6m |
| Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway | 19.2 mi | 22m |
| William Elton Brown Freeway | 17 mi | 18m |
| Donald D Doyle Highway | 14.8 mi | 17m |
| John Muir Parkway | 12.8 mi | 15m |
| Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway | 7.3 mi | 8m |
Longest stretch:
Westside Freeway
— 224.4 mi, about 4h
Traffic on I-5
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 81 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~1,500 veh/hr typical · worst 2,272
Quietest
2 AM
~312 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
4.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 44 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 Hercules, CA and San Bernardino, CA.
1
Start on Railroad Avenue
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Railroad Avenue
2
Continue on Bayfront Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Bayfront Boulevard
3
Continue on John Muir Parkway
13 mi
·
15 min
·
John Muir Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 12B
Toward I 680 South: San Jose
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 680
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 680
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 680
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 680
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 30A
Toward I 580 East: Livermore, Stockton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 580 East: Livermore, Stockton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 580: Stockton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 580
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
11 mi
·
11 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
16
Merge onto I 5
224 mi
·
4 hr
·
Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
58 mi
·
1 hr 6 min
·
I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
Exit 161A
Toward I 210 East: Pasadena
Use the slight right lane.
20
Continue on I 210
24 mi
·
28 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210
19 mi
·
22 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Toward CA 134 West, I 210 East: San Bernardino, Ventura
Use the slight right lane.
22
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
23 mi
·
26 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
27
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 74
Toward I 215: Barstow, Riverside
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
28
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 74
Toward I 215 South: Riverside
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
29
Merge onto I 215
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Barstow Freeway
30
Continue on I 215
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
31
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 44A
Toward CA 66 West: 5th Street, Civic Center
Use the slight right lane.
32
Turn left onto CA 66
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 5th Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
33
Arrive at destination
West 5th Street
Trip Plan
Given the 8-hour estimated duration, this is realistically a two-day trip to avoid fatigue. Aim to depart early in the morning on your first day to maximize daylight. Plan for two stops along the way, ensuring you refuel and take breaks. The longest stretch is over 200 miles, so be prepared for that segment without frequent services. Splitting the drive means you can comfortably cover around 218 miles per day, making the first day's drive ending somewhere around the Bakersfield area, then completing the remaining 218 miles on day two.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 218.1 miles from Hercules, CA, or about 4h 1m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 224.4 miles.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 96 miles or 1h 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 218.1 miles or 4h 1m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 218.1 miles or 4h 1m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near San Bernardino, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Hercules, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Hercules, CA
Aim for roughly 218 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into San Bernardino, CA
Aim for roughly 218 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 96 miles from Hercules, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Westside Freeway for about 224.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
218 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Corcoran, CAOvernight Options
Night 1
218 mi · about 4.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Corcoran, CA after about 218 miles or 4.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 96 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 218.1 miles from Hercules, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Westside Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 224.4 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 218 miles or 4.1 hours on the road.
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 275 decision points cluster between mile 36.1 and 432.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
36.1 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward I 580 East: Livermore, Stockton
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 30A
Toward I 580 East: Livermore, Stockton
8
36.3 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 580 East: Livermore, Stockton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 580 East: Livermore, Stockton
8
383 mi into trip
|
~7h 4m in
|
I 210 / Foothill Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210 / Foothill Freeway toward CA 134 West, I 210 East: San Bernardino, Ventura
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CA 134 West, I 210 East: San Bernardino,...
8
432.2 mi into trip
|
~8h 1m in
Take the exit toward I 215: Barstow, Riverside
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 74
Toward I 215: Barstow, Riverside
8
432.4 mi into trip
|
~8h 1m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 215 South: Riverside
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 74
Toward I 215 South: Riverside
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$98.87 one way
$197.73 round trip
$5.76/gal
25.4 MPG avg
153 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $102.28 | $204.57 |
| premium | $6.09 | $104.62 | $209.24 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $92.79 | $185.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$99
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$229–$339
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 152.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $46 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 130.9 | 1 | $45.80 | $20.94 |
| Efficient EV | 109.1 | 1 | $38.17 | $17.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 174.5 | 2 | $61.07 | $27.92 |
Gas CO2
153 kg
EV CO2
51 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Bernardino, CA
Late night in San Bernardino on Sunday
Local time
12:49 AM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
16 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
8h 7m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
You'll be on the highway for 94% of this 436.2-mile trip, with the longest continuous stretch covering 224.4 miles on the Westside Freeway. This means extended periods of steady driving. The transition away from the primary highway system will occur towards the end of your drive as you approach San Bernardino. Expect a lot of freeway exits and merges as you navigate the urban and suburban landscapes.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
33 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 224.4 mi on Westside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and Foothill Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 36.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 27 significant decision points across 436.2 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 36.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 383 miles (I 210 / Foothill Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Hercules, CA and San Bernardino, CA, road signs point toward Stockton and Ventura.
Stockton
36.1 mi in
|
~43m
Ventura
383 mi in
|
~7h 4m
|
via I 210
About the Cities
Starting in Hercules, CA
Full guide →Founded 1900
Pinole is in the north of Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area in California on the southern shore of San Pablo Bay. Hercules is a suburban community next door. Neither of them have much to attract tourists, but they do have a selection of restaurants as well as walking and biking paths through the wetlands along the bay.
Arriving in San Bernardino, CA
Full guide →Founded 1854
San Bernardino is a city in the Inland Empire in California. It is the site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand
Top landmarks
- • San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot — railway station in San Bernardino, the United States of America
- • California Theatre of the Performing Arts — theater and performing arts center in San Bernardino, California
- • San Bernardino County Court House — courthouse in San Bernardino, United States of America
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 224.4 miles on Westside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 218 miles on day one.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Bernardino, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 2 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 36.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 383 miles (I 210 / Foothill Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Not recommended in a single day. At 8.1 hours each way, a round trip means 16.3 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at San Bernardino, CA before the return drive.
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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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