Origin
Newark, CA
Afternoon in Newark on Sunday
Local time
3:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newark, CA to Oakland, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
24.9 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newark, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Newark, CA to Oakland, CA is 24.9 miles and takes about 31m via I 880, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused trip connecting two points within the Pacific Coast region of California. It's a short drive, ideal for a quick transit or a day trip extension. You'll primarily be on major freeways, so expect consistent traffic, especially during peak hours. The main roads are well-maintained and designed for efficient travel between these East Bay cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 17 mi | 19m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 5 mi | 5m |
| Thornton Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Oak Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 12th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 14th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Harrison Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 17 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, CA and Oakland, CA.
1
Start on this road
120 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Thornton Avenue
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Thornton Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 880
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
17 mi
·
19 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 41A
Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto Oak Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Oak Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto 12th Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
12th Street
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn right onto Harrison Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Harrison Street
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto 14th Street
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
·
14th Street
11
Arrive at destination
14th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 24.6 — 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
|
Thornton Avenue
Turn left onto Thornton Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
6.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 880
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
8
23.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
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 41A
Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
6
24.3 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
12th Street
Turn left onto 12th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
24.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Harrison Street
Turn right onto Harrison Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.72 one way
$11.45 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.90 | $11.80 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.06 | $12.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.50 | $11.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 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 | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
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.
Destination
Oakland, CA
Afternoon in Oakland on Sunday
Local time
3:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Clear
N 7 mph
0% chance
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
17 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
31m 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?
This drive is overwhelmingly a highway experience, with 88% of it on major freeways like I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 17 miles on I 880, offering a continuous, high-speed journey. Thornton Avenue provides a brief transition before rejoining the interstate. The profile is consistently highway-focused, meaning you'll be navigating multi-lane traffic with clear signage for efficient travel. Expect a dynamic flow of vehicles as you move between these urban centers.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17 mi on I 880.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Thornton Avenue.
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 9 decision points packed into just 24.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Thornton Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.8 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 Newark, CA
Full guide →Newark is a small community in the East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area region of California. It is an enclave of the larger city of Fremont.
Arriving in Oakland, CA
Full guide →Oakland is a port city in the Bay Area of California in the United States. Once an industrial area overshadowed by San Francisco, its larger neighbor to the west, this city of 440,000 people (2020) has begun to step out from under San Francisco's shadow with its notable natural and architectural features and its rise as the multicultural "hipster" city of the Bay Area.
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 31m. Total distance: 24.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m 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 17 miles on I 880. 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 Oakland, 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 (Thornton Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.8 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, 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 Oakland, 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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