Origin
Sacramento, CA
Late night in Sacramento on Tuesday
Local time
2:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sacramento, CA to Cool, 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
53m
Distance
40 mi
64 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sacramento, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Cool, CA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
Sacramento, CA to Cool, CA is 40 miles and takes about 53 minutes via Alan S. Hart Freeway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Pacific Coast region, making it a convenient local hop. You'll primarily be on highway, so expect a straightforward trip. With a recommended one-day duration, this route is perfect for a quick excursion without needing an overnight stay. It's a practical option for a speedy transfer between these two California locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Alan S. Hart Freeway | 17.3 mi | 20m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 7 mi | 8m |
| El Dorado Street | 6 mi | 13m |
| Capital City Freeway | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| North Sacramento Freeway | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| 16th Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| J Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Elm Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Alan S. Hart Freeway
— 17.3 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sacramento, CA and Cool, CA.
1
Start on 9th Street
348 ft
·
16 sec
·
9th Street
2
Turn left onto J Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
J Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn left onto US 40 Historic
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
16th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Keep slight left at fork onto US 40 Historic
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
16th Street
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on North Sacramento Freeway
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
North Sacramento Freeway
Use the straight lane.
6
Merge onto I 80 Business
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Capital City Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 80
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 80
17 mi
·
20 min
·
Alan S. Hart Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 119C
Toward CA 49 South: Placerville
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto CA 49
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
Elm Avenue
11
Turn left onto CA 49
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
El Dorado Street
Use the left lane.
12
Enter roundabout onto CA 49
103 ft
·
3 sec
·
El Dorado Street
13
Continue on CA 49
2.3 mi
·
5 min
·
El Dorado Street
14
Continue on CA 49
3.6 mi
·
7 min
·
El Dorado Street
15
Continue on CA 49
102 ft
·
9 sec
·
CA 49
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto CA 193
353 ft
·
7 sec
·
Georgetown Road
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
CA 193
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20 miles from Sacramento, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 33.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
J Street
Turn left onto J Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 40 Historic / 16th Street
Turn left onto US 40 Historic / 16th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 40 Historic / 16th Street
Keep slight left at fork onto US 40 Historic / 16th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
33.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward CA 49 South: Placerville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 119C
Toward CA 49 South: Placerville
7
33.9 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
CA 49 / El Dorado Street
Turn left onto CA 49 / El Dorado Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.19 one way
$18.39 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $9.47 | $18.95 |
| premium | $6.18 | $9.73 | $19.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.83 | $17.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 14 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12 | 0 | $4.20 | $1.92 |
| Efficient EV | 10 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16 | 0 | $5.60 | $2.56 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Cool, CA
Late night in Cool on Tuesday
Local time
2:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
65°F
Auburn, CA
20 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
12 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
53m 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-focused, with 62% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll experience stretches of efficient travel, including a continuous 17.3 miles on the Alan S. Hart Freeway. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and El Dorado Street also feature in your journey, suggesting a mix of freeway and arterial road driving. While not an extremely long drive, the longest uninterrupted highway segment means you can settle in for a solid period of cruising.
62% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.3 mi on Alan S. Hart Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Alan S. Hart Freeway and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near J Street.
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 40 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (J Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (US 40 Historic / 16th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles (US 40 Historic / 16th Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting 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 53m. Total distance: 40 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.3 miles on Alan S. Hart 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 Cool, 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 0.1 miles (J Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (US 40 Historic / 16th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles (US 40 Historic / 16th Street): 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 Cool, 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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