Origin
Rocklin, CA
Night in Rocklin on Saturday
Local time
10:58 PM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rocklin, 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
27m
Distance
21.4 mi
34 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rocklin, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Sacramento, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from Rocklin to Sacramento, you are looking at a quick 21.2-mile journey that typically takes about 25 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, as it serves as a straightforward connection within the Pacific Coast region. You will primarily navigate via Pacific Street, Taylor Road, and I-80 West to reach your destination. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $3, it is an incredibly economical drive for commuters or casual travelers. Because the transit time is so brief, there is no need for an overnight stay, allowing you maximum flexibility for your daily plans.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 7.1 mi | 8m |
| Capital City Freeway | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| Alan S. Hart Freeway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| North Sacramento Freeway | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| Pacific Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| 12th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North 12th Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Taylor Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 7.1 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rocklin, CA and Sacramento, CA.
1
Start on this road
181 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn straight onto Pacific Street
329 ft
·
12 sec
·
Pacific Street
3
Continue on Pacific Street
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Pacific Street
4
Enter roundabout onto Pacific Street
132 ft
·
2 sec
·
Pacific Street
5
Continue on Pacific Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Pacific Street
6
Continue on Taylor Road
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
·
Taylor Road
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 80 West: Sacramento
8
Merge onto I 80
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Alan S. Hart Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on I 80
7.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Capital City Freeway
Exit 95
Toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 160
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
North Sacramento Freeway
Toward CA 160 West: Downtown Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on CA 160; US 40 Historic
0.6 mi
·
56 sec
·
North 12th Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 160; US 40 Historic
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
12th Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14
Turn right onto I Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
I Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn left onto 9th Street
71 ft
·
1 sec
·
9th Street
16
Arrive at destination
9th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 21.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Pacific Street
Enter roundabout onto Pacific Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
8
12.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 95
Toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
7
17.3 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
CA 160 / North Sacramento Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 160 / North Sacramento Freeway toward CA 160 West: Downtown Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 160 West: Downtown Sacramento
6
20.5 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
CA 160; US 40 Historic / 12th Street
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 160; US 40 Historic / 12th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
6
21.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I Street
Turn right onto I Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.92 one way
$9.84 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.07 | $10.14 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.20 | $10.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.72 | $9.45 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 57% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (57% 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
Night in Sacramento on Saturday
Local time
10:58 PM
PDT
Current temp
45°F
Clear
NNW 14 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
6 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
27m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous long-haul experience. You will transition through local streets before merging onto I-80 West, though the route maintains a 0% highway share according to the data metrics provided. Since the longest stretch is 0 miles on Pacific Street, you should be prepared for frequent maneuvering through local infrastructure. This personality makes the drive feel more like a suburban transition than an open-road cruise. Keep your focus sharp, as the technical nature of the turns requires consistent attention compared to a straight interstate path.
49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.1 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 around 0.2 miles in near Pacific Street.
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 9 decision points packed into just 21.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Pacific Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 12.4 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.3 miles (CA 160 / North Sacramento Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Rocklin, CA
Full guide →Rocklin is a city in Placer County, California.
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 27m. Total distance: 21.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.1 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. 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 0.2 miles (Pacific Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 12.4 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.3 miles (CA 160 / North Sacramento Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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