Origin
Los Altos, CA
Morning in Los Altos on Sunday
Local time
11:05 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Los Altos, CA to Fremont, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
21.4 mi
35 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Los Altos, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Los Altos to Fremont is 21.4 miles and takes about 32 minutes via Dumbarton Bridge, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Pacific Coast region, connecting two points in California. Expect a mixed drive that's mostly highway, making it a quick and straightforward trip. It's ideal if you need to get from the Peninsula to the East Bay without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbarton Bridge | 6.6 mi | 8m |
| Bayshore Freeway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| San Antonio Road | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| Bayfront Expressway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Mowry Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| North San Antonio Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Willow Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Dumbarton Bridge
— 6.6 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Los Altos, CA and Fremont, CA.
1
Start on North San Antonio Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North San Antonio Road
2
Continue on San Antonio Road
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
San Antonio Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Use the straight lane.
4
Merge onto US 101
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 404
Toward Willow Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Turn right onto CA 114
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Willow Road
Use the right lane.
7
Turn right onto CA 84
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Bayfront Expressway
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on CA 84
6.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Dumbarton Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 880 South, CA 84 East: San Jose, Fremont
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 880; CA 84
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 17
Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn left
116 ft
·
3 sec
Use the left lane.
13
Turn straight onto Mowry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
14
Continue on Mowry Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Mowry Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Mowry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 7.2 and 19.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
7.2 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward Willow Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 404
Toward Willow Road
6
7.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
CA 114 / Willow Road
Turn right onto CA 114 / Willow Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
16.6 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward I 880 South, CA 84 East: San Jose, Fremont
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 880 South, CA 84 East: San Jose, Fremo...
8
19.6 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
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 17
Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
6
19.8 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.92 one way
$9.84 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.07 | $10.14 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.20 | $10.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.72 | $9.45 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 57% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (57% 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
Fremont, CA
Morning in Fremont on Sunday
Local time
11:05 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°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
18 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
32m 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?
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 36% of it being highway. You'll navigate segments of the Bayshore Freeway and Nimitz Freeway, which are typical urban and suburban freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.6 miles on the Dumbarton Bridge, offering a brief, open feeling before you rejoin more developed road sections. The drive transitions from typical Bay Area freeway conditions to more localized roads as you approach Fremont.
36% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.6 mi on Dumbarton Bridge.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 7.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 21.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.5 miles (CA 114 / Willow Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Los Altos, CA
Full guide →Los Altos is in Santa Clara County, in the South Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. The city means "The Heights" or "Foothills" in Spanish. It is mostly residential, but it does have several areas which could be considered 'business districts'.
Arriving in Fremont, CA
Full guide →Founded 1956
Fremont is a suburban city in the southern part of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area by population. Fremont is in the southern part of Alameda County, California, between Union City to the north, Sunol and the hills to the east, Milpitas and Santa Clara County to the south, and the San Francisco Bay to the west. The city of Newark, near the edge of the Bay, is surrounded by the city of Fremont. Fremont industry is not particularly large relative to other parts of the Bay Area, but neither is it a bedroom community. Many people in Fremont work locally in the electronics and high-tech industry, while many others commute to Silicon Valley or San Francisco locations for work.
Top landmarks
- • Mission San José — 18th-century Spanish mission in Fremont, California
- • Ardenwood Historic Farm — human settlement in California, United States of America
- • Niles Depot Museum — railway museum in Niles, 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 32m. Total distance: 21.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (36%). 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 6.6 miles on Dumbarton Bridge. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Fremont, 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 7.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.5 miles (CA 114 / Willow Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.6 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 and Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park. 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 Fremont, 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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