Origin
Richmond, CA
Late night in Richmond on Tuesday
Local time
3:25 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richmond, CA to San Francisco, 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
26m
Distance
18.3 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Richmond, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Richmond, CA to San Francisco, CA is 18.3 miles and takes about 26m via Eastshore Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop across the bay connects the Pacific Coast region from one side to the other. Expect a largely urban drive with a significant portion on major freeways. Given the minimal distance and duration, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion, offering flexibility for departure times and minimal need for extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eastshore Freeway | 7.7 mi | 9m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6.2 mi | 9m |
| Route 80 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Barrett Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Octavia Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Central Freeway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 23rd Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Eastshore Freeway
— 7.7 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richmond, CA and San Francisco, 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
6.9 mi
·
8 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit onto Eastshore Freeway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Toward San Francisco
Use the slight left lane.
7
Merge onto I 80
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn slight left onto I 80
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the slight left lane.
10
Continue on I 80
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
Route 80
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
11
Continue on I 80
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 80
Exit 2A
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Continue on I 80
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
·
Route 80
Exit 1A
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto US 101
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Central Freeway
15
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
18
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
23rd Street
Turn left onto 23rd Street
Navigation decision point
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
6
8.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
Eastshore Freeway
Take the exit onto Eastshore Freeway toward San Francisco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward San Francisco
6
10 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 80 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
8
16.9 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.21 one way
$8.41 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.33 | $8.67 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.45 | $8.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.04 | $8.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.56 | $1.17 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
San Francisco, CA
Late night in San Francisco on Tuesday
Local time
3:25 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Sunny
W 6 to 9 mph
0% chance
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
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
26m 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 route is a mixed drive, with 51% of the journey on highways. You'll spend a good portion of your time on the Eastshore Freeway and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.7 miles on the Eastshore Freeway, allowing for a steady pace. The character of the drive is primarily that of a busy commuter corridor, transitioning from the East Bay into the dense urban landscape of San Francisco.
51% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.7 mi on Eastshore Freeway.
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 early in the drive near 23rd Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 14 decision points packed into just 18.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (23rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.5 miles (Eastshore Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 San Francisco, CA
Full guide →“Frisco” · Founded 1776
The centerpiece of the Bay Area, San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the world, and with good reason. The cultural center of northern California, San Francisco is renowned for its mixture of scenic beauty and unique culture that makes it one of the most vibrant and desirable cities in the nation, if not the world. Sandwiched between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on a small square of land seven miles (11 km) on each side, San Francisco offers a wealth of treasures for the visitor, from the windswept and often foggy bay to the steep hills lined with Victorian homes that overlook the spectacular scenery of the city.
Top landmarks
- • Golden Gate Bridge — suspension bridge on the San Francisco Bay
- • Alcatraz Island — island in San Francisco, California, United States of America
- • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge — suspension bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland, California, USA
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 26m. Total distance: 18.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (51%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.7 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 San Francisco, 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: near the start (23rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.5 miles (Eastshore Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (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 San Francisco, 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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