Origin
Palo Alto, CA
Morning in Palo Alto on Tuesday
Local time
6:55 AM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palo Alto, CA to Oakland, 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
47m
Distance
34 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palo Alto, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 34-mile drive from Palo Alto, CA to Oakland, CA takes about 47 minutes, making it an easy day trip. You'll spend most of your time on major highways, including I 880 and the Nimitz Freeway, with a portion crossing the Dumbarton Bridge. With a fuel cost estimated at $8, this is a budget-friendly option for a quick journey. The route is primarily highway-focused, designed for efficient travel between these two Pacific Coast destinations. Given its short duration and minimal stops, it’s perfect for a spontaneous trip or as a segment within a larger California adventure.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 17 mi | 19m |
| Dumbarton Bridge | 6.8 mi | 8m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| Bayfront Expressway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Willow Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| University Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Lincoln Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Bayshore Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 17 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palo Alto, CA and Oakland, CA.
1
Start on Middlefield Road
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
Middlefield Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn right onto Melville Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Melville Avenue
3
At end of road, turn left onto Channing Avenue
164 ft
·
7 sec
·
Channing Avenue
4
Turn right onto Lincoln Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lincoln Avenue
5
Turn right onto University Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
University Avenue
6
Turn left onto Donohoe Street
416 ft
·
15 sec
·
Donohoe Street
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto US 101
0.4 mi
·
28 sec
·
Bayshore Freeway
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 404
Toward Willow Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto CA 114
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Willow Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto CA 84
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Bayfront Expressway
Use the right lane.
12
Continue on CA 84
6.8 mi
·
8 min
·
Dumbarton Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on Decoto Road
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Decoto Road
Use the right lane.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
Use the right lane.
15
Merge onto I 880
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
17 mi
·
19 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
17
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 41A
Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn right onto Oak Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Oak Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Turn left onto 12th Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
12th Street
Use the straight lane.
20
Turn right onto Harrison Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Harrison Street
Use the right lane.
21
Turn left onto 14th Street
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
·
14th Street
22
Arrive at destination
14th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17 miles from Palo Alto, 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 195 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 33.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
7
2.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward Willow Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 404
Toward Willow Road
7
12.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward I 880 North: Oakland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
8
32.9 mi into trip
|
~44m 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
7
33.7 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
Harrison Street
Turn right onto Harrison Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.81 one way
$15.63 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.05 | $16.11 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.27 | $16.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.51 | $15.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.18 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Morning in Oakland on Tuesday
Local time
6:55 AM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Sunny
W 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
51°F
Newark, CA
17 mi in
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
14 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
47m 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 highway-focused experience for this trip, as 66% of the drive utilizes major roadways. You'll encounter stretches on I 880, including a continuous segment of 17 miles, which offers a consistent driving pace. The route incorporates the Dumbarton Bridge and the Nimitz Freeway, indicating a mix of urban and suburban highway environments. While not overly complex, the highway-centric nature means you'll be navigating traffic and interchanges typical of a busy metropolitan area.
66% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 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?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and Dumbarton Bridge. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 19 decision points packed into just 34 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Palo Alto, CA
Full guide →Founded 1894
Top landmarks
- • HP Garage — founding site of the company Hewlett-Packard, "birthplace of Silicon Valley"
- • Hanna–Honeycomb House — historic house in California, United States
- • Palo Alto station — railway station in Palo Alto, California
Arriving 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
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 47m. Total distance: 34 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). 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: at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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