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Trip from Oakland, CA to Albany, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

13m

Distance

7.9 mi

13 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 12m ★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 16m
8 PM
0h 13m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city and county seat of Alameda County, California, United States

Oakland, CA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Alameda County, California, United States

Albany, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick commute between Oakland and Albany, this 7.9-mile trip is a straightforward option that takes roughly 13 minutes to complete. You will spend the vast majority of your journey navigating the Eastshore Freeway and MacArthur Freeway before transitioning onto Buchanan Street to reach your destination. Because the travel time is so brief, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stops. Budgeting approximately $2 for fuel should cover your needs for this excursion. Navigating entirely within the Pacific Coast region, you will find this drive to be a highly efficient way to move between these two California cities.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Eastshore Freeway 3.2 mi 3m
MacArthur Freeway 1.7 mi 2m
Buchanan Street 0.5 mi 1m
14th Street 0.4 mi 1m
John B. Williams Freeway 0.4 mi <1m
Castro Street 0.2 mi <1m
Marin Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
San Pablo Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Eastshore Freeway — 3.2 mi, about 3m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Oakland, CA and Albany, CA.

1

Start on 14th Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · 14th Street
2

Turn right onto Castro Street

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Castro Street
3

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward I 980 East, CA 24: Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Hayward
4

Merge onto I 980

0.4 mi · 25 sec · John B. Williams Freeway
5

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 38 sec
Toward I 580: San Francisco, Hayward Use the slight right lane.
6

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 580 West: San Francisco, MacArthur Freeway Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7

Merge onto I 580

1.7 mi · 2 min · MacArthur Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on I 80; I 580

3.2 mi · 3 min · Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 48 sec
Exit 13A Toward Buchanan Street, Albany Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn right onto Buchanan Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Buchanan Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11

Continue on Marin Avenue

0.1 mi · 15 sec · Marin Avenue
12

Turn left onto CA 123

98 ft · 13 sec · San Pablo Avenue
13

Arrive at destination

CA 123

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 7.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 980 East, CA 24: Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Hayward

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 980 East, CA 24: Walnut Creek, San Fra...
7
1.2 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the exit toward I 580: San Francisco, Hayward

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 580: San Francisco, Hayward
8
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 580 West: San Francisco, MacArthur Freeway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 580 West: San Francisco, MacArthur Fre...
8
6.9 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward Buchanan Street, Albany

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 13A Toward Buchanan Street, Albany
6
7.3 mi into trip | ~11m in | Buchanan Street

Turn right onto Buchanan Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.82 one way

$3.63 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $1.87 $3.74
premium $6.18 $1.92 $3.84
diesel $5.61 $1.74 $3.49

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.4 0 $0.83 $0.38
Efficient EV 2 0 $0.69 $0.32
EV Truck/SUV 3.2 0 $1.11 $0.51

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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 12, 2026

Origin

Oakland, CA

Late night in Oakland on Tuesday

Local time

2:46 AM

PDT

Current temp

61°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 12 mph 81% chance Live forecast

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 12 at 8:16AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Eureka CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 6:49AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Destination

Albany, CA

Late night in Albany on Tuesday

Local time

2:46 AM

PDT

Current temp

60°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 10 to 14 mph 83% chance Live forecast

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 12 at 8:16AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Eureka CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 6:49AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford 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

13m 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 heavily highway-focused, with 67% of your travel time spent on major transit arteries. You can expect a fast-paced experience, highlighted by a 3.2-mile stretch along the Eastshore Freeway that serves as the longest uninterrupted portion of the route. While the initial leg involves high-speed freeway driving, the character of the road shifts as you exit toward Buchanan Street to complete the final few miles. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive that prioritizes speed and directness over leisurely scenic exploration. Expect a consistent flow of traffic as you transition between these established metropolitan corridors.

67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.2 mi on Eastshore Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Eastshore Freeway and MacArthur Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 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 7.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 13m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

58 ft 15 ft

Total Climb

57 ft

Total Descent

56 ft

Highest Point

58 ft

~2.3 mi in

Elevation Range

43 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Oakland, CA and Albany, CA, road signs point toward San Francisco and Hayward.

San Francisco

0.6 mi in | ~1m

Hayward

0.6 mi in | ~1m

About the Cities

Starting in Oakland, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1852

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.

Top landmarks

  • • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge — suspension bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland, California, USA
  • • Lake Merritt — lagoon in Oakland, California, USA
  • • Oakland Museum of California — art museum in Oakland, California

Arriving in Albany, CA

Full guide →

Albany is a city in the inner East Bay in the Bay Area in 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 13m. Total distance: 7.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 3.2 miles on Eastshore 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 Albany, 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 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Muir Woods National Monument (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 Albany, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Return Trip

Albany, CA to Oakland, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

7.7 mi 13m

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