Origin
Oakland, CA
Afternoon in Oakland on Friday
Local time
3:37 PM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oakland, CA to Cotati, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 11, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 4m
Distance
50.5 mi
81 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Cotati, CA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
The drive from Oakland, CA to Cotati, CA covers 50.5 miles and takes about 1h 4m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Redwood Highway, John T. Knox Freeway, Eastshore Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 29.1 miles on Redwood Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.51 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Highway | 29.1 mi | 34m |
| John T. Knox Freeway | 12.9 mi | 17m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| MacArthur Freeway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| West Sierra Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 14th Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| John B. Williams Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Castro Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Redwood Highway
— 29.1 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oakland, CA and Cotati, 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
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
13 mi
·
17 min
·
John T. Knox Freeway
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 1A
Toward US 101 North: San Rafeal
11
Merge onto US 101
29 mi
·
34 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 481A
Toward West Sierra Avenue, Cotati
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
108 ft
·
2 sec
Toward Cotati
Use the right lane.
14
Turn right onto West Sierra Avenue
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
West Sierra Avenue
15
Turn left onto La Plaza
295 ft
·
13 sec
·
La Plaza
16
Continue on La Plaza
94 ft
·
4 sec
·
La Plaza
17
Arrive at destination
La Plaza
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.3 miles from Oakland, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 49.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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...
9
7.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
8
49.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward West Sierra Avenue, Cotati
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 481A
Toward West Sierra Avenue, Cotati
8
49.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Cotati
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward Cotati
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.51 one way
$23.01 round trip
$5.79/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $11.85 | $23.70 |
| premium | $6.14 | $12.21 | $24.41 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $11.86 | $23.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.30 | $2.42 |
| Efficient EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.42 | $2.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.2 | 0 | $7.07 | $3.23 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Cotati, CA
Afternoon in Cotati on Friday
Local time
3:37 PM
PDT
Current temp
53°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
1 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
1h 4m 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?
50.5 mi in 1h 4m — 36% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Redwood Highway.
36% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.1 mi on Redwood Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 1.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.5 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: 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; at 7.1 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
109 ft
-1 ft
Total Climb
153 ft
Total Descent
87 ft
Highest Point
109 ft
~50.5 mi in
Elevation Range
110 ft
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 Oakland, CA to Cotati, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Rafael along the way.
San Rafael
7.1 mi in
|
~11m
|
via I 580
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 Cotati, CA
Full guide →Founded 1963
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 1h 4m. Total distance: 50.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 29.1 miles on Redwood 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 Cotati, 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 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; at 7.1 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cotati, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Cotati, CA
More trips to Cotati, CA
Explore more options from Oakland, CA or browse trips ending in Cotati, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.