Origin
Menlo Park, CA
Late night in Menlo Park on Tuesday
Local time
1:52 AM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Menlo Park, 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
42m
Distance
31.4 mi
50 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
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.
Menlo Park, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to head north from Menlo Park to San Francisco, you are looking at a quick 31.4-mile journey along the Pacific Coast. You can easily complete this trip in about 42 minutes, making it a perfect one-day excursion that doesn't require an overnight stay. With a fuel budget of approximately $7, it is an incredibly cost-effective way to transition between these two California hubs. Since the route is entirely contained within the Pacific Coast region, you won't encounter major shifts in climate or terrain. It is a straightforward, practical drive that works well for commuters and casual travelers alike who want to bridge the distance between the Peninsula and the city.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bayshore Freeway | 22.5 mi | 26m |
| James Lick Freeway | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Marsh Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| El Camino Real | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Central Freeway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Watkins Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Octavia Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Bayshore Freeway
— 22.5 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Menlo Park, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on this road
121 ft
·
14 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
38 ft
·
7 sec
3
Turn left onto Merrill Street
260 ft
·
18 sec
·
Merrill Street
4
Turn left onto Santa Cruz Avenue
308 ft
·
14 sec
·
Santa Cruz Avenue
5
Turn right onto CA 82
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
El Camino Real
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Turn right onto Watkins Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Watkins Avenue
7
At end of road, turn left onto Middlefield Road
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Middlefield Road
8
Turn right onto Marsh Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Marsh Road
Use the right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 101
23 mi
·
26 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on US 101
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
James Lick Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on US 101
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Freeway
Toward Civic Center, Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
16
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 2.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Santa Cruz Avenue
Turn left onto Santa Cruz Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CA 82 / El Camino Real
Turn right onto CA 82 / El Camino Real
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Middlefield Road
At end of road, turn left onto Middlefield Road
Navigation decision point
6
2.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.22 one way
$14.43 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.44 | $14.87 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.64 | $15.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.93 | $13.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.30 | $1.51 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.75 | $1.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.40 | $2.01 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Late night in San Francisco on Tuesday
Local time
1:52 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
18 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
42m 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 is a highway-focused drive that stays true to its purpose, with 88% of your time spent on major thoroughfares. You will navigate a mix of the Bayshore Freeway, the James Lick Freeway, and Marsh Road to reach your destination. Expect a fast-paced experience, highlighted by a significant 22.5-mile uninterrupted stretch along the Bayshore Freeway. Because of this high highway share, the route prioritizes efficiency over technical, winding roads. You should prepare for a consistent, high-speed flow that gets you from Menlo Park to San Francisco with minimal interruption.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.5 mi on Bayshore Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bayshore Freeway and James Lick Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 31.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Santa Cruz Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (CA 82 / El Camino Real): Lane positioning matters here.
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.
On the drive from Menlo Park, CA to San Francisco, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Civic Center along the way.
Civic Center
29.8 mi in
|
~39m
|
via US 101
About the Cities
Starting in Menlo Park, CA
Full guide →Top landmarks
- • Menlo Park station — railway station in Menlo Park, California
- • Church of the Nativity — Menlo Park, California
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 42m. Total distance: 31.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.5 miles on Bayshore 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Santa Cruz Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (CA 82 / El Camino Real): Lane positioning matters here.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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