Origin
Hercules, CA
Morning in Hercules on Tuesday
Local time
8:30 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hercules, CA to San Francisco, 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
35m
Distance
25.4 mi
41 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hercules, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 25.4-mile drive from Hercules to San Francisco, California, is easily manageable in about 35 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll spend most of your time on major freeways, including the Eastshore Freeway and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway (Route 80). With a modest fuel cost estimated at $6, this is a budget-friendly journey. The route remains within the Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward transition between these two California locations. Given its short duration and primarily highway focus, no overnight stops are necessary.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eastshore Freeway | 14.6 mi | 17m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6.2 mi | 9m |
| Route 80 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| John Muir Parkway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Octavia Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Central Freeway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Bayfront Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Eastshore Freeway
— 14.6 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hercules, CA and San Francisco, 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
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
John Muir Parkway
4
Take the exit
208 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 80: Oakland, Sacramento
Use the slight right lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 80 West: Oakland
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 80
14 mi
·
16 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit onto Eastshore Freeway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Toward San Francisco
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto I 80
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn slight left onto I 80
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the slight left lane.
11
Continue on I 80
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
Route 80
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12
Continue on I 80
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 80
Exit 2A
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Continue on I 80
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
·
Route 80
Exit 1A
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Merge onto US 101
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Central Freeway
16
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
18
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
19
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 24 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward I 80: Oakland, Sacramento
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 80: Oakland, Sacramento
7
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 80 West: Oakland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 80 West: Oakland
6
15.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Eastshore Freeway
Take the exit onto Eastshore Freeway toward San Francisco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward San Francisco
6
17.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I 80 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
8
24 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.84 one way
$11.68 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $6.02 | $12.03 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.18 | $12.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.61 | $11.22 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.67 | $1.22 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.22 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.56 | $1.63 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
San Francisco, CA
Morning in San Francisco on Tuesday
Local time
8:30 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°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
6 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
35m 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 for this trip, with 67% of your journey on major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 14.6 miles, primarily on the Eastshore Freeway. This route emphasizes efficient travel over scenic detours, so be prepared for a steady pace on well-maintained freeways. The character of the road is consistent, designed for direct transit between the two points.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.6 mi on Eastshore Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Eastshore Freeway and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 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 13 decision points packed into just 25.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.6 miles (Eastshore Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Francisco, CA
Full guide →“Frisco” · Founded 1776
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.
Top landmarks
- • Golden Gate Bridge — suspension bridge on the San Francisco Bay
- • Alcatraz Island — island in San Francisco, California, United States of America
- • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge — suspension bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland, California, USA
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 35m. Total distance: 25.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.6 miles on Eastshore 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 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.6 miles (Eastshore Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, San Francisco Maritime 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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