Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 46m
Distance
254.5 mi
410 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$56
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Weaverville, CA
Dominik Gryzbon
The drive from Oakland, CA to Weaverville, CA covers 254.5 miles and takes about 4h 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 505, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Eureka Way for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 157.7 miles on I 505. At current regular gas prices, budget about $56.42 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
127.3 miles from Oakland, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 24m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 505 | 157.7 mi | 2h 49m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 27.6 mi | 31m |
| Eureka Way | 25 mi | 29m |
| CA 299 | 18.3 mi | 20m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 14.3 mi | 16m |
| Linus F. Claeys Freeway | 3.5 mi | 3m |
| MacArthur Freeway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| CA 44 | 1.2 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 50 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~4,100 veh/hr typical · worst 5,002
Quietest
3 AM
~671 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
6.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 28 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Oakland, CA and Weaverville, CA.
Start on 14th Street
Turn right onto Castro Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 980
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 580
Continue on I 80; I 580
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
Continue on I 80
Continue on I 80
Continue on I 80
Continue on I 80
Continue on I 80
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on I 505
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto CA 44
Turn right onto CA 44; CA 273; US 99 Hist
Turn left onto CA 44; CA 273; US 99 Hist
Continue on CA 299
Turn left onto CR 225
Turn right onto Paulson Street
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 56 miles or 1h 8m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 127.3 miles or 2h 24m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 52m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Weaverville, CA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Oakland, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Oakland, CA
This is one driving day of about 254.5 miles and 4h 46m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
127 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.
A short stop after about 56 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 127.3 miles from Oakland, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 505 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 157.7 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 50.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
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
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 / Eastshore Freeway toward I 80 East: Vallejo, Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 505 North: Winters, Redding
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 505 North: Winters, Redding
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$56.42 one way
$112.84 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.81 | $58.22 | $116.45 |
| premium | $5.98 | $59.95 | $119.90 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $56.10 | $112.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$56
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$81–$106
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 89 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $27 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 76.4 | 0 | $26.72 | $12.22 |
| Efficient EV | 63.6 | 0 | $22.27 | $10.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 101.8 | 1 | $35.63 | $16.29 |
Gas CO2
89 kg
EV CO2
30 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Oakland on Friday
Local time
10:27 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Weaverville on Friday
Local time
10:27 AM
PDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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254.5 mi in 4h 46m, mostly highway — 157.7 mi of that is on I 505.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 505 and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 254.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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 80 / Eastshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
2,773 ft
Total Descent
739 ft
Highest Point
2,671 ft
~236.3 mi in
Elevation Range
2,637 ft
Notable High Points
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Oakland, CA and Weaverville, CA, road signs point toward Redding, Susanville and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.
Redding
Susanville
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
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
Weaverville is in Trinity County, which is an inland part of California's North Coast region. It sits at 2188 feet of elevation.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 46m. Total distance: 254.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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