San Bernardino to Daly City is 439.9 miles and takes about 8h 13m via Westside Freeway, Foothill Freeway, and I 5 Truck, with a fuel budget near $105 and likely requiring an overnight stop. This mostly highway route stays within California, traversing the Pacific Coast region for both its start and end points. With a recommended two days for the drive, you’ll have ample time to break up the 439.9 miles. Consider this a straightforward, efficient way to cover ground between Southern and Northern California.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
220 miles from San Bernardino, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 4h 8m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Westside Freeway
225.6 mi
4h 1m
Foothill Freeway
73.8 mi
1h 25m
I 5 Truck
37.1 mi
42m
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
29.6 mi
34m
Golden State Freeway
22.3 mi
25m
William Elton Brown Freeway
17 mi
18m
MacArthur Freeway
15.5 mi
17m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
6 mi
9m
Longest stretch:
Westside Freeway
— 225.6 mi, about 4h 1m
Traffic on I-5
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 81 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~1,500 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,272
Quietest
2 AM
~312 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
4.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 44 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Bernardino, CA and Daly City, CA.
1
Start on West 5th Street
0.7 mi·1 min·West 5th Street
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·45 sec
Toward I 215 North: Barstow
3
Merge onto I 215
1.5 mi·1 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Continue on I 215
0.5 mi·34 sec·Barstow Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
1.0 mi·2 min
Exit 46BToward CA 210 West: PasadenaUse the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto CA 210
21 mi·24 min·Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
1.2 mi·1 min·Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
2.4 mi·2 min·Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
1.4 mi·1 min·Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
1.8 mi·2 min·Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
20 mi·23 min·Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210
26 mi·29 min·Foothill Freeway
Exit 26AToward I 210 West: SacramentoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi·9 sec
Use the slight right lane.
14
Merge onto I 5 Truck
1.0 mi·1 min·I 5 Truck
Exit 161A
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck
36 mi·41 min·I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
22 mi·25 min·Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
226 mi·4 hr 1 min·Westside Freeway
Toward I 5 NorthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
16 mi·17 min·William Elton Brown Freeway
Toward I 580 West: Tracy, San Francisco
19
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 Bypass
1.1 mi·1 min·William Elton Brown Freeway
20
Merge onto I 580
18 mi·20 min·Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
12 mi·13 min·Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
8.3 mi·9 min·MacArthur Freeway
Toward I 580: Oakland, San FranciscoUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
23
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
7.2 mi·8 min·MacArthur Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Take the exit
0.9 mi·1 min
Exit 19AToward I 80 West: San Francisco
25
Merge onto I 80
0.2 mi·17 sec·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Toward I 80 West: San FranciscoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Turn slight left onto I 80
0.4 mi·33 sec·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
27
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi·8 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the slight left lane.
28
Continue on I 80
0.3 mi·24 sec·Route 80
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
29
Continue on I 80
0.8 mi·1 min·Route 80
Exit 2AUse the straight / slight left lanes.
30
Continue on I 80
0.4 mi·32 sec·Route 80
Exit 1AUse the straight / slight right lanes.
31
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
0.3 mi·25 sec·I 80
Exit 1AToward US 101 South: San JoseUse the straight / slight right lanes.
32
Merge onto US 101
2.0 mi·3 min·James Lick Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
33
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Exit 431Toward I 280 South: Daly CityUse the slight right lane.
34
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi·22 sec
Toward I 280 South: Daly CityUse the straight / slight right lanes.
35
Merge onto I 280
2.9 mi·3 min·John F Foran Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
36
Take the exit
0.2 mi·32 sec
Exit 50Toward CA 82 North, CA 1 North: San Jose Avenue, Mission StreetUse the straight / slight right lanes.
37
Continue on CA 82
0.5 mi·1 min·San Jose Avenue
38
Continue on CA 82
276 ft·10 sec·Mission Street
39
Turn right onto Hillcrest Drive
45 ft·2 sec·Hillcrest Drive
40
Arrive at destination
Hillcrest Drive
Trip Plan
Given the 8h 13m estimated drive time, splitting this trip over two days is the most sensible approach. Aim to leave San Bernardino early in the morning on your first day to maximize daylight. You'll want to plan for your overnight stop around the halfway point, perhaps after covering about 225 miles. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the longer stretches on the Westside Freeway, and utilize the designated fuel stops. The second day will involve navigating more urban environments as you approach Daly City.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 220 miles from San Bernardino, CA, or about 4h 8m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 225.6 miles.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 97 miles or 1h 53m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 220 miles or 4h 8m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 220 miles or 4h 8m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Daly City, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving San Bernardino, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from San Bernardino, CA
Aim for roughly 220 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Daly City, CA
Aim for roughly 220 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 97 miles from San Bernardino, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Westside Freeway for about 225.6 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 33
5 decision points cluster between mile 52.2 and 439.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
52.2 mi into trip|~1h 2m in|I 210 / Foothill Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210 / Foothill Freeway toward I 210 West: Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 26A
Toward I 210 West: Sacramento
8
409.5 mi into trip|~7h 34m in|I 580 / MacArthur Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / MacArthur Freeway toward I 580: Oakland, San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 580: Oakland, San Francisco
8
433.4 mi into trip|~8h 4m in|I 80
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 toward US 101 South: San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1A
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
8
436 mi into trip|~8h 8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 280 South: Daly City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 280 South: Daly City
8
439.1 mi into trip|~8h 11m in
Take the exit toward CA 82 North, CA 1 North: San Jose Avenue, Mission Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 50
Toward CA 82 North, CA 1 North: San Jose Avenue...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$103.31 one way
$206.61 round trip
$5.97/gal25.4 MPG avg154 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$6.18
$107.07
$214.13
premium
$6.30
$109.06
$218.11
diesel
$5.35
$92.66
$185.31
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$103
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$233–$343
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 153.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $46 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
132
1
$46.19
$21.12
Efficient EV
110
1
$38.49
$17.60
EV Truck/SUV
176
2
$61.59
$28.15
Gas CO2
154 kg
EV CO2
51 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Jun 2, 2026
Origin
San Bernardino, CA
Afternoon
in San Bernardino on Wednesday
Local time
12:53 PM
PDT
Current temp
59°F
Patchy Fog
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Dense Fog Advisory
Dense Fog Advisory issued June 1 at 9:14PM PDT until June 2 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS San Francisco CA
Destination
Daly City, CA
Afternoon
in Daly City on Wednesday
Local time
12:53 PM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Slight Chance Drizzle
W 6 mph7% chanceLive forecast
Dense Fog Advisory
Dense Fog Advisory issued June 1 at 9:14PM PDT until June 2 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS San Francisco CA
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
9 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
8h 13m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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.
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Celebrate and honor the contributions and sacrifices of American civilians on the WWII home front. Discover how diverse communities lived, worked, and interacted. Many faces, many stories, many truths...
7 mi from route
~18 min detour
Free
near mile 424.8
Established in 1988, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park celebrates America’s maritime heritage on the Pacific Coast. Our 50-acre park has grown around Aquatic Park Cove, a protected area...
7 mi from route
~19 min detour
Free
near mile 439.9
Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species. Go for a hike, enjoy a vista, have a picnic or learn about the centuries of overlapping history f...
13 mi from route
~33 min detour
Free
near mile 439.9
Walk among old growth coast redwoods, cooling their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lifting their crowns to reach the sun and fog. Federally protected as a National Monument since 1908,...
15 mi from route
~37 min detour
$15
near mile 439.9
On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion jolted the San Francisco East Bay area, shattering windows and lighting up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were killed instantly when two s...
21 mi from route
~52 min detour
Free
near mile 424.8
The Santa Monica Mountains offer easy access to surprisingly wild places. Experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. The park abounds with historical and cultura...
23 mi from route
~59 min detour
Free
near mile 75.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is 98% highway driving, meaning you'll be on high-speed roads for almost the entire 439.9 miles. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 225.6 miles, which will be on the Westside Freeway. You'll notice a high density of exits and merging traffic, typical of major interstate travel, for most of the drive. Surface roads are minimal, appearing only at the very beginning and end of your trip.
98% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
40 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 225.6 mi on Westside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and Foothill Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 52.2 miles in near I 210 / Foothill Freeway.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 33 significant decision points across 439.9 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 52.2 miles (I 210 / Foothill Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 409.5 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 433.4 miles (I 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Hilly terrain with moderate elevation changes
3,346 ft183 ft
Total Climb
3,325 ft
Total Descent
3,968 ft
Highest Point
3,346 ft
~125.7 mi in
Elevation Range
3,163 ft
Notable High Points
3,346 ft at ~125.7 miles+2,059 ft prominence
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 Bernardino, CA to Daly City, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Francisco along the way.
Daly City is a city in northernmost part of San Mateo County on the Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, directly south of San Francisco proper.
The longest stretch is about 225.6 miles on Westside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 220 miles on day one.
Yes — we found about 35 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 Daly City, 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 2 meaningful breaks. There are 35 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 52.2 miles (I 210 / Foothill Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 409.5 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 433.4 miles (I 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 8.2 hours each way, a round trip means 16.5 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Daly City, CA before the return drive.
