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Trip from Howard Landing, CA to Elk Grove, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

43m

Distance

26.8 mi

43 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 40m ★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Howard Landing, CA, CA

Howard Landing, CA

Stephen Leonardi

city in Sacramento County, California, United States

Elk Grove, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This relatively short 26.8-mile drive from Howard Landing to Elk Grove, California, should take you about 43 minutes to complete. It's a straightforward trip, perfect for a single day, and won't require an overnight stay. With a fuel cost estimated at $6, it's an economical option for getting between these two Pacific Coast locations. The route is characterized as a 'Mixed drive,' suggesting a blend of road types rather than a continuous highway experience. You'll navigate using Westside Freeway, Elk Grove Boulevard, and Twin Cities Road, offering a practical journey with no planned stops.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Westside Freeway 8.1 mi 8m
Elk Grove Boulevard 6.2 mi 11m
Twin Cities Road 4.4 mi 7m
Victory Highway 2.6 mi 3m
CA 220 2.5 mi 4m
River Road 2.2 mi 3m
Walnut Grove Bridge <0.1 mi <1m
Elk Grove Florin Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Westside Freeway — 8.1 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Howard Landing, CA and Elk Grove, CA.

1

Start on this road

0.2 mi · 58 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto CA 220

2.5 mi · 4 min · CA 220
3

Turn left onto CA 160

2.6 mi · 3 min · Victory Highway
4

Turn right onto J11

461 ft · 55 sec · Walnut Grove Bridge
5

Turn left onto E13

2.2 mi · 3 min · River Road
6

Turn right onto E13

4.4 mi · 7 min · Twin Cities Road
7

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 32 sec
8

Merge onto I 5

8.1 mi · 8 min · Westside Freeway
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Exit 506 Toward Elk Grove Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn right onto E12

6.2 mi · 11 min · Elk Grove Boulevard
Use the left / uturn lanes.
11

Turn right onto Elk Grove Florin Road

52 ft · 1 sec · Elk Grove Florin Road
12

Arrive at destination

Elk Grove Florin Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 5.3 and 20.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
5.3 mi into trip | ~9m in | J11 / Walnut Grove Bridge

Turn right onto J11 / Walnut Grove Bridge

Navigation decision point

4
5.3 mi into trip | ~10m in | E13 / River Road

Turn left onto E13 / River Road

Navigation decision point

4
11.9 mi into trip | ~22m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

7
20.3 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward Elk Grove Boulevard

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 506 Toward Elk Grove Boulevard
6
20.6 mi into trip | ~31m in | E12 / Elk Grove Boulevard

Turn right onto E12 / Elk Grove Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / uturn lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.16 one way

$12.32 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $6.35 $12.70
premium $6.18 $6.52 $13.03
diesel $5.61 $5.92 $11.83

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 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 8 0 $2.81 $1.29
Efficient EV 6.7 0 $2.34 $1.07
EV Truck/SUV 10.7 0 $3.75 $1.72

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Howard Landing, CA

Late night in Howard Landing on Tuesday

Local time

5:05 AM

PDT

Current temp

68°F

Sunny

NNW 21 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 12:49PM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 12:35PM PDT until April 16 at 9:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Destination

Elk Grove, CA

Late night in Elk Grove on Tuesday

Local time

5:05 AM

PDT

Current temp

72°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

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

43m 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?

Expect a mixed driving experience on this 26.8-mile route, with about 40% of it on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.1 miles on the Westside Freeway, which will likely feel like a faster-paced section. As you transition off the freeway onto roads like Elk Grove Boulevard and Twin Cities Road, the character of the drive will likely change, potentially becoming more localized with varying speed limits and traffic. This blend means you won't be in a constant highway mode, offering a dynamic feel behind the wheel.

40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.1 mi on Westside Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 5.3 miles in near J11 / Walnut Grove Bridge.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 43m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 5.3 miles (J11 / Walnut Grove Bridge): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (E13 / River Road): Navigation decision point; at 11.9 miles: Navigation decision point.

About the Cities

Arriving in Elk Grove, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1850

Elk Grove is a city of 176,000 people (2020) in Sacramento County in California. Elk Grove has many wineries, wine cellars, and vineyards.

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 43m. Total distance: 26.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

43m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (40%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.1 miles on Westside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 5.3 miles (J11 / Walnut Grove Bridge): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (E13 / River Road): Navigation decision point; at 11.9 miles: Navigation decision point.

Yes — 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 Elk Grove, 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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