Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Kensington, CA to San Francisco, CA

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

28m

Distance

17.6 mi

28 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 26m ★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Kensington, CA, CA

Kensington, CA

Stephen Leonardi

consolidated city and county in California, United States

San Francisco, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Kensington to San Francisco is 17.6 miles and takes about 28 minutes via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Pacific Coast region, moving from the East Bay into San Francisco. It's a quick commute-like drive, mostly on major freeways, making it ideal for those needing to get across the bay efficiently. You'll find this route to be straightforward and practical for a day trip or connecting to other adventures in the area.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 6.2 mi 9m
Eastshore Freeway 5.2 mi 6m
Route 80 1.4 mi 2m
Moeser Lane 1.3 mi 3m
San Pablo Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Arlington Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Octavia Boulevard 0.5 mi <1m
Central Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway — 6.2 mi, about 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Kensington, CA and San Francisco, CA.

1

Start on Arlington Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Arlington Avenue
2

Continue on Arlington Boulevard

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Arlington Boulevard
3

Turn left onto Moeser Lane

1.3 mi · 3 min · Moeser Lane
4

At end of road, turn left onto CA 123

0.7 mi · 1 min · San Pablo Avenue
Use the left lane.
5

Turn right onto Central Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · Central Avenue
6

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Toward I 80 West: Oakland
7

Merge onto I 80

4.4 mi · 5 min · Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit onto Eastshore Freeway

0.8 mi · 1 min · Eastshore Freeway
Toward San Francisco Use the slight left lane.
9

Merge onto I 80

0.4 mi · 33 sec · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn slight left onto I 80

0.4 mi · 33 sec · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

5.5 mi · 8 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the slight left lane.
12

Continue on I 80

0.3 mi · 24 sec · Route 80
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13

Continue on I 80

0.8 mi · 1 min · Route 80
Exit 2A Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14

Continue on I 80

0.4 mi · 32 sec · Route 80
Exit 1A Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

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.
16

Merge onto US 101

0.3 mi · 25 sec · Central Freeway
17

Continue on Octavia Boulevard

0.5 mi · 42 sec · Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Turn right onto Market Street

0.1 mi · 31 sec · Market Street
Use the right lane.
19

Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Market Street
20

Arrive at destination

Market Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.1 and 16.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
2.1 mi into trip | ~4m in | CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue

At end of road, turn left onto CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
3.2 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the ramp toward I 80 West: Oakland

Navigation decision point

Toward I 80 West: Oakland
6
7.8 mi into trip | ~13m 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
9.3 mi into trip | ~15m 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
16.2 mi into trip | ~25m 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

$3.99 one way

$7.98 round trip

$5.76/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.96 $4.13 $8.25
premium $6.09 $4.22 $8.44
diesel $5.40 $3.74 $7.49

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.3 0 $1.85 $0.84
Efficient EV 4.4 0 $1.54 $0.70
EV Truck/SUV 7 0 $2.46 $1.13

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.

Forecast as of Apr 26, 2026

Origin

Kensington, CA

Late night in Kensington on Sunday

Local time

12:49 AM

PDT

Current temp

59°F

Cloudy

SW 13 mph 5% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 1:57PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 12:10PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS San Diego CA

Destination

San Francisco, CA

Late night in San Francisco on Sunday

Local time

12:49 AM

PDT

Current temp

62°F

Mostly Cloudy

WSW 10 mph 6% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 1:57PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 12:10PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS San Diego 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

3 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

28m 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?

You'll spend about 39% of this 17.6-mile drive on major highways like the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and Eastshore Freeway. The longest stretch on a highway is 6.2 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Expect to encounter urban merging and dense exits as you transition from highway cruising to surface streets closer to your destination. The profile is mixed highway and surface, so be prepared for changes in speed and traffic patterns.

39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.2 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.1 miles in near CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue.

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 15 decision points packed into just 17.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.1 miles (CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 7.8 miles (Eastshore Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

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 28m. Total distance: 17.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 6.2 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. 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 2.1 miles (CA 123 / San Pablo Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 7.8 miles (Eastshore Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

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 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From San Francisco, CA

Alpine, CA 520.1 mi · 9h 52m Fairbanks Ranch, CA 486 mi · 9h 14m Rancho Santa Fe, CA 482.9 mi · 9h 11m Temecula, CA 463.7 mi · 8h 41m

More trips to San Francisco, CA

Pioneer, CA 133.2 mi San Martin, CA 73.1 mi Walnut Creek, CA 25.2 mi San Pablo, CA 19.2 mi Marin City, CA 10.6 mi
Scenic drives in CA

Explore more options from Kensington, CA or browse trips ending in San Francisco, CA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.