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Trip from Richmond, CA to Oakland, 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

11.8 mi

19 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

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.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Contra Costa County, California, United States

Richmond, CA

Wikimedia Commons

city and county seat of Alameda County, California, United States

Oakland, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Spanning just 11.8 miles, this quick trip between Richmond and Oakland is a straightforward journey along the Pacific Coast that easily fits into a single day. You can expect to spend about 18 minutes behind the wheel, making it an ideal commute or short excursion. Budgeting about $3 for fuel should be plenty to cover the distance, as the route is quite efficient. Since both cities are located within the same region, you won't experience a major shift in geography or climate. Whether you are running errands or heading to a meeting, the simplicity of this drive allows for great flexibility in your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Eastshore Freeway 7.2 mi 8m
San Pablo Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
Barrett Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
MacArthur Freeway 0.5 mi <1m
Martin Luther King Junior Way 0.3 mi 1m
14th Street 0.3 mi 1m
Interstate Highway 80 0.3 mi <1m
23rd Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Eastshore Freeway — 7.2 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Macdonald Avenue

56 ft · 8 sec · Macdonald Avenue
2

Turn left onto 23rd Street

0.2 mi · 24 sec · 23rd Street
3

Turn right onto Barrett Avenue

1.1 mi · 2 min · Barrett Avenue
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Toward I 80 West: Oakland Use the straight lane.
5

Merge onto I 80

7.2 mi · 8 min · Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork onto I 580

0.3 mi · 21 sec · Interstate Highway 80
Toward I 580 East, I 880 South: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockton, Alameda, San Jose Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 580

0.5 mi · 42 sec · MacArthur Freeway
Toward I 580: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockton Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 13 sec
Exit 19A Toward MacArthur Boulevard, San Pablo Avenue, Emery Street Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 12 sec
Toward San Pablo Avenue, Emery Street Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn right onto Watts Street

216 ft · 11 sec · Watts Street
11

Turn right onto Peralta Street

182 ft · 11 sec · Peralta Street
12

Turn left onto 35th Street

0.2 mi · 23 sec · 35th Street
13

Turn right onto San Pablo Avenue

1.1 mi · 2 min · San Pablo Avenue
14

Turn slight right onto Martin Luther King Junior Way

0.3 mi · 1 min · Martin Luther King Junior Way
15

Turn left onto 14th Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · 14th Street
16

Arrive at destination

14th Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 9.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1.3 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward I 80 West: Oakland

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane. Toward I 80 West: Oakland
8
8.7 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 580 / Interstate Highway 80

Keep slight left at fork onto I 580 / Interstate Highway 80 toward I 580 East, I 880 South: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockton, Alameda, San Jose

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 580 East, I 880 South: Downtown Oaklan...
8
9 mi into trip | ~12m in | I 580 / MacArthur Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 580 / MacArthur Freeway toward I 580: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockton

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: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockt...
8
9.5 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward MacArthur Boulevard, San Pablo Avenue, Emery Street

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

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Exit 19A Toward MacArthur Boulevard, San Pablo Avenue, E...
9
9.7 mi into trip | ~13m in

Keep slight right at fork toward San Pablo Avenue, Emery Street

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward San Pablo Avenue, Emery Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.71 one way

$5.42 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $2.79 $5.59
premium $6.18 $2.87 $5.74
diesel $5.61 $2.61 $5.21

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.5 0 $1.24 $0.57
Efficient EV 3 0 $1.03 $0.47
EV Truck/SUV 4.7 0 $1.65 $0.76

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Richmond, CA

Late night in Richmond on Sunday

Local time

12:55 AM

PDT

Current temp

49°F

Clear

N 8 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 1:48AM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Medford OR

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:31AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

Destination

Oakland, CA

Late night in Oakland on Sunday

Local time

12:55 AM

PDT

Current temp

51°F

Clear

N 7 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 1:48AM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Medford OR

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:31AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

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

2 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

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 trip is heavily highway-focused, with 67% of your travel taking place on major thoroughfares. You will spend the bulk of your time navigating the Eastshore Freeway, which accounts for a 7.2-mile stretch of the journey. Beyond the freeway, you will transition onto San Pablo Avenue and Barrett Avenue to reach your final destination. The experience is characterized by a mix of fast-paced highway segments and local road maneuvers. Expect a functional, direct drive that prioritizes speed over leisure, keeping you moving steadily toward Oakland.

67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.2 mi on Eastshore Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Eastshore Freeway and San Pablo Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 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 13 decision points packed into just 11.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles (I 580 / Interstate Highway 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Richmond, CA and Oakland, CA, road signs point toward Hayward, Stockton, Alameda and San Jose.

Hayward

8.7 mi in | ~11m | via I 580

Stockton

8.7 mi in | ~11m | via I 580

Alameda

8.7 mi in | ~11m | via I 580

San Jose

8.7 mi in | ~11m | via I 580

About the Cities

Starting in Richmond, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1905

Though it was a booming industrial center during World War II, the subsequent decades were not kind to Richmond, California. After the war, deindustrialization hit hard. The shipyards closed. Desperation set in. A reputation for violent crime kept visitors away. But in the 21st century crime has gone down, and a revitalization has begun. Richmond still isn't on any tourism shortlists, but its historic sites, nature, and strategic location between the East Bay and Marin County do attract some interest to this often-overlooked part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Areas of note include the charming and historic Point Richmond neighborhood on the bay in the southwest of Richmond, as well as the World War II sites at the southern edge of the city. This article also covers Richmond's near-enclave of San Pablo.

Top landmarks

  • • Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park — U.S. national park in California
  • • Atchison Village — neighbourhood in Richmond, California, United States of America
  • • Alvarado Area — National Historic Place in Richmond, California

Arriving in Oakland, CA

Full guide →

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.

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: 11.8 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 (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 7.2 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 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 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles (I 580 / Interstate Highway 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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