Origin
Moss Beach, CA
Late night in Moss Beach on Tuesday
Local time
2:12 AM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Moss Beach, 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
33m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 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.
Moss Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Moss Beach to San Francisco covers a short 22.5-mile distance that typically takes about 31 minutes. Since both locations are situated along the Pacific Coast of California, you will remain within the same beautiful coastal region throughout the journey. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stops along the way. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $5, it serves as an efficient and affordable connection between the two points. You will primarily navigate via the Junipero Serra Freeway, the John F. Foran Freeway, and US 101 North to reach your destination. It is a straightforward commute that balances accessibility with the convenience of a quick arrival.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cabrillo Highway | 13.8 mi | 21m |
| John F Foran Freeway | 4.2 mi | 4m |
| James Lick Freeway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Central Freeway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Octavia Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Junipero Serra Freeway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Cabrillo Highway
— 13.8 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Moss Beach, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on CA 1
14 mi
·
21 min
·
Cabrillo Highway
Use the straight lane.
2
Keep slight right at fork onto Junipero Serra Freeway
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
·
Junipero Serra Freeway
Toward I 280 North: San Francisco Bay Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Continue on I 280
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
John F Foran Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 54B
Toward US 101 North: Civic Center, Bay Bridge
Use the slight left lane.
5
Merge onto US 101
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
James Lick Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on US 101
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Freeway
Toward Civic Center, Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
10
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 13.8 and 22.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
13.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Junipero Serra Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto Junipero Serra Freeway toward I 280 North: San Francisco Bay Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 280 North: San Francisco Bay Bridge
8
18.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward US 101 North: Civic Center, Bay Bridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 54B
Toward US 101 North: Civic Center, Bay Bridge
5
19.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
US 101 / James Lick Freeway
Merge onto US 101 / James Lick Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
21.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Octavia Boulevard
Continue onto Octavia Boulevard toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
5
22.2 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Market Street
Turn right onto Market Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.17 one way
$10.34 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.33 | $10.66 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.47 | $10.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
2:12 AM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Partly Cloudy
WSW 2 to 8 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 7:10PM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka 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
1 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
33m 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 turn-heavy local drive as you transition from the coastal environment of Moss Beach toward the urban landscape of San Francisco. While the route utilizes major freeways, it does not feature any long, monotonous stretches of highway, as the entire journey is relatively brief. You will find that the road demands your attention due to its technical nature rather than high-speed highway cruising. Because the highway share is 0%, you should prepare for a driving experience defined by local road maneuvering rather than open-road interstate travel. The personality of this drive is practical and functional, requiring you to stay alert as you navigate the turns leading into the city.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.8 mi on Cabrillo Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 13.8 miles in near Junipero Serra Freeway.
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 7 decision points packed into just 22.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13.8 miles (Junipero Serra Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.1 miles (US 101 / James Lick Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Moss Beach, CA to San Francisco, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Civic Center along the way.
Civic Center
20.9 mi in
|
~30m
|
via US 101
About the Cities
Starting in Moss Beach, CA
Full guide →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 33m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). 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 13.8 miles on Cabrillo 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 13.8 miles (Junipero Serra Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.1 miles (US 101 / James Lick Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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.
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