Sacramento to Susanville is 188.2 miles and takes about 4h 1m via Deer Creek Highway and CA 70, with a fuel budget near $43 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive takes you from the Pacific Coast region within California to another part of the Pacific Coast region, also in California. It's a mostly highway trip, making it a straightforward drive for a single day. Consider this route if you're looking for a direct path to Susanville without extensive detours.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
94.1 miles from Sacramento, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 53m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Deer Creek Highway
52.3 mi
1h 9m
CA 70
52 mi
1h
CA 36
29.5 mi
40m
State Highway 36 East
18.1 mi
26m
CA 99
9.5 mi
11m
Golden State Highway
7.5 mi
8m
CA 149
5.7 mi
6m
Westside Freeway
5.6 mi
6m
Longest stretch:
Deer Creek Highway
— 52.3 mi, about 1h 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sacramento, CA and Susanville, CA.
1
Start on 9th Street
348 ft·16 sec·9th Street
2
Turn left onto J Street
406 ft·14 sec·J Street
3
Turn left onto 10th Street
419 ft·18 sec·10th Street
4
Turn left onto I Street
0.4 mi·44 sec·I Street
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·55 sec
Toward I 5 North, CA 99 North: Redding, Yuba CityUse the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 5
5.6 mi·6 min·Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 99
7.5 mi·8 min·Golden State Highway
Toward CA 99 North, CA 70: Yuba City, MarysvilleUse the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on CA 99
5.0 mi·5 min·Bernie Richter Memorial Highway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 70
22 mi·25 min·CA 70
Toward CA 70 North: Marysville, OrovilleUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto 5th Street
0.2 mi·38 sec·5th Street
11
Turn left onto B Street
1.5 mi·3 min·B Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Continue on CA 70
30 mi·35 min·CA 70
Use the left lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 149
5.7 mi·6 min·CA 149
Use the straight lane.
14
Merge onto CA 99
9.5 mi·11 min·CA 99
Use the straight lane.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·15 sec
Toward CA 32: Orland, Chester
16
Turn right onto CA 32
52 mi·1 hr 9 min·Deer Creek Highway
Use the right lane.
17
At end of road, turn right onto CA 36; CA 89
18 mi·26 min·State Highway 36 East
18
Enter roundabout onto CA 36
92 ft·6 sec·CA 36
19
Continue on CA 36
29 mi·39 min·CA 36
20
Turn right onto Foss Street
61 ft·2 sec·Foss Street
21
Arrive at destination
Foss Street
Trip Plan
With a drive time of just over 4 hours, this trip is easily manageable in a single day. You can depart Sacramento in the morning and arrive in Susanville with plenty of daylight left. The route has only one recommended stop, so you have flexibility in when and where you choose to break up the drive. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, as the longest stretch without services is 52.3 miles on Deer Creek Highway, and plan to refuel before that segment if needed.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 94.1 miles from Sacramento, CA, or about 1h 53m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 52.3 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 41 miles or 49m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 94.1 miles or 1h 53m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 15m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Susanville, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Sacramento, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Sacramento, CA
This is one driving day of about 188.2 miles and 4h 1m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 41 miles from Sacramento, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Deer Creek Highway for about 52.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 41.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|I Street
Turn left onto I Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 North, CA 99 North: Redding, Yuba City
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 North, CA 99 North: Redding, Yuba Ci...
8
6.7 mi into trip|~9m in|CA 99 / Golden State Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 99 / Golden State Highway toward CA 99 North, CA 70: Yuba City, Marysville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 99 North, CA 70: Yuba City, Marysvill...
8
19.2 mi into trip|~23m in|CA 70
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 70 toward CA 70 North: Marysville, Oroville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 70 North: Marysville, Oroville
6
41.1 mi into trip|~49m in|B Street
Turn left onto B Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$43.26 one way
$86.51 round trip
$5.84/gal25.4 MPG avg66 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$6.02
$44.58
$89.15
premium
$6.18
$45.77
$91.54
diesel
$5.61
$41.55
$83.10
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$43
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$68–$93
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 65.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $20 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
56.5
0
$19.76
$9.03
Efficient EV
47.1
0
$16.47
$7.53
EV Truck/SUV
75.3
0
$26.35
$12.04
Gas CO2
66 kg
EV CO2
22 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Sacramento, CA
Morning
in Sacramento on Sunday
Local time
7:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Susanville, CA
Morning
in Susanville on Sunday
Local time
7:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
32°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
36 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
4h 1m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to steaming fumaroles, meadows freckled with wildflowers, clear mountain lakes, and numerous volcanoes. Jagged peaks tell the story of its eruptive past while hot...
16 mi from route
~40 min detour
$30
near mile 142.7
Park Closure: Roads to Juniper Lake and Warner Valley Closed for Repairs
Park Closure: Lassen National Park Highway under Seasonal Closure
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 64% of this 188.2-mile drive on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch on the highway is 52.3 miles along Deer Creek Highway. After the highway portions, expect a change to more rural cruising as you approach your destination. This setup means you'll encounter some open road driving before transitioning to more local road conditions.
64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 52.3 mi on Deer Creek Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Deer Creek Highway and CA 70. 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 I Street.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 188.2 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (I Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.7 miles (CA 99 / Golden State Highway): 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 Sacramento, CA and Susanville, CA, road signs point toward Oroville and Chester.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 1m. Total distance: 188.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 52.3 miles on Deer Creek Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Susanville, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 3 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (I Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.7 miles (CA 99 / Golden State Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Lassen Volcanic National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.0 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.1 hours — manageable with a long break at Susanville, CA, but most travelers stay overnight.
