Origin
Rancho Cordova, CA
Morning in Rancho Cordova on Sunday
Local time
9:05 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rancho Cordova, CA to Sacramento, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
13.3 mi
21 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rancho Cordova, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Sacramento, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rancho Cordova to Sacramento is 13.3 miles and takes about 18 minutes via El Dorado Freeway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, highway-focused journey within the same state and region, making it an easy, single-day trip. You'll primarily be on major freeways, so expect efficient travel. This route is ideal for a quick errand, a quick commute, or simply extending a visit within the greater Sacramento area. Given its brevity, it offers a lot of flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| El Dorado Freeway | 9.7 mi | 10m |
| 16th Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Folsom Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| I Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Mather Field Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Capital City Freeway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 9th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
El Dorado Freeway
— 9.7 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rancho Cordova, CA and Sacramento, CA.
1
Start on Folsom Boulevard
474 ft
·
14 sec
·
Folsom Boulevard
2
Continue on Folsom Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Folsom Boulevard
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto Mather Field Road
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
Mather Field Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Toward US 50 West: Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto US 50
9.7 mi
·
10 min
·
El Dorado Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on US 50
0.3 mi
·
18 sec
·
Capital City Freeway
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 5
Toward CA 160: 16th Street
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto 16th Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
16th Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
9
Turn left onto I Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Turn left onto 9th Street
71 ft
·
1 sec
·
9th Street
11
Arrive at destination
9th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 11.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Mather Field Road
Turn left onto Mather Field Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward US 50 West: Sacramento
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 50 West: Sacramento
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 50 / El Dorado Freeway
Merge onto US 50 / El Dorado Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
11.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward CA 160: 16th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5
Toward CA 160: 16th Street
5
11.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
16th Street
Turn right onto 16th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.06 one way
$6.11 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.15 | $6.30 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.23 | $6.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.94 | $5.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.16 | $0.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Sacramento, CA
Morning in Sacramento on Sunday
Local time
9:05 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°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
22 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
18m 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?
This drive is predominantly highway, with 75% of the journey on major roads like the El Dorado Freeway and 16th Street. You'll experience a largely uninterrupted stretch of 9.7 miles on the El Dorado Freeway, offering a consistent pace. The route transitions onto Folsom Boulevard, providing a slightly different road character as you approach your destination. Overall, expect a straightforward driving experience with minimal slowdowns, typical of urban freeway travel.
75% 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: 9.7 mi on El Dorado Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on El Dorado Freeway and 16th Street. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Mather Field Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 13.3 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.6 miles (Mather Field Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (US 50 / El Dorado Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Sacramento, CA
Full guide →Founded 1849
Sacramento is the state capital of California in the United States. It is the regional center for the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, which dominates much of the surrounding Sacramento Valley and stretches into parts of Gold Country. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, settled between the confluences of the Sacramento and American rivers. The city has been the site of many important historic events that have shaped California and U.S. history, most notably the California Gold Rush and location of the original terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Much of this historical legacy has been preserved, especially in the historic Old Sacramento district, where buildings and railroads from that era continue to attract visitors. However, Sacramento is not a city that is stuck in the past. As the capital of the most populous U.S.
Top landmarks
- • California State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of California
- • Crocker Art Museum — art museum in Sacramento, California
- • Sacramento Valley Station — main railroad and light rail station in Sacramento, 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 18m. Total distance: 13.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.7 miles on El Dorado 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 Sacramento, 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 (Mather Field Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (US 50 / El Dorado Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sacramento, 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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