Origin
San Anselmo, CA
Late night in San Anselmo on Tuesday
Local time
3:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Anselmo, 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
35m
Distance
20.1 mi
32 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Anselmo, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 19.2-mile journey from San Anselmo to San Francisco is easily manageable in about 38 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily be navigating via Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Red Hill Avenue, with a brief stint on Fourth Street before reaching your destination. With a fuel cost estimated at $4, this drive is very budget-friendly. As both locations are within the Pacific Coast region of California, you won't experience significant geographical shifts. This route offers a straightforward, local feel, ideal for a quick transit or a scenic approach into the city.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Highway | 10.6 mi | 14m |
| Golden Gate Bridge | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Presidio Parkway | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Fourth Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Webster Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Divisadero Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Red Hill Avenue | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| California Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Redwood Highway
— 10.6 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Anselmo, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on this road
30 ft
·
4 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
3
Turn right onto Red Hill Avenue
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
Red Hill Avenue
4
Continue on Fourth Street
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
·
Fourth Street
5
Keep slight left at fork onto Fourth Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Fourth Street
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto Hetherton Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Hetherton Street
Use the right lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Francisco, Oakland
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Merge onto US 101
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Redwood Highway
9
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
10 mi
·
13 min
·
Redwood Highway
Toward US 101: San Francisco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on US 101
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden Gate Bridge
11
Merge
34 ft
·
0 sec
12
Keep slight left at fork
130 ft
·
1 sec
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
14
Continue on US 101; CA 1
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Presidio Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on US 101
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Richardson Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Continue on US 101
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Lombard Street
17
Turn right onto Divisadero Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Divisadero Street
Use the right lane.
18
Turn left onto California Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
California Street
19
Turn right onto Webster Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Webster Street
Use the straight lane.
20
Turn left onto Oak Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Oak Street
Use the left lane.
21
Turn right onto Gough Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Gough Street
22
Turn slight left onto Market Street
183 ft
·
15 sec
·
Market Street
Use the slight left lane.
23
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
24
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 17.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Fourth Street
Keep slight left at fork onto Fourth Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Hetherton Street
Turn right onto Hetherton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
2.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward US 101 South: San Francisco, Oakland
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward US 101 South: San Francisco, Oakland
7
3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 101 / Redwood Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101 / Redwood Highway toward US 101: San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 101: San Francisco
6
17.2 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
Divisadero Street
Turn right onto Divisadero Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.62 one way
$9.24 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.76 | $9.52 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.89 | $9.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.44 | $8.88 |
Estimated Tolls: $9.00
Golden Gate Bridge
$9.00
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$9
Total
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6 | 0 | $2.11 | $0.96 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8 | 0 | $2.81 | $1.29 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
3:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
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
4 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
35m 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?
Expect a "turn-heavy local drive" for this entire 19.2-mile stretch, as indicated by the 0% highway share. There isn't a "longest stretch" of uninterrupted driving here; instead, anticipate a series of turns and local road navigation. The route feels like a typical urban or suburban commute, requiring your attention for frequent adjustments. You'll be on local roads for the duration, so the character remains consistent, focusing on navigating neighborhood streets and main arteries.
Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.6 mi on Redwood Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near Fourth 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 16 decision points packed into just 20.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (Fourth Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (Hetherton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles: 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from San Anselmo, CA to San Francisco, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Oakland along the way.
Oakland
2.4 mi in
|
~4m
About the Cities
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 35m. Total distance: 20.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.6 miles on Redwood Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $9.00 in tolls one way, starting with Golden Gate Bridge. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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: at 1.2 miles (Fourth Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (Hetherton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Muir Woods National Monument and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (6 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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