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Trip from San Francisco, CA to Alameda, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

25m

Distance

14.3 mi

23 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
consolidated city and county in California, United States

San Francisco, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Alameda, CA, CA

Alameda, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

Traveling from San Francisco to Alameda is a quick 14.3-mile journey that typically takes about 25 minutes. You will navigate using a combination of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, the Nimitz Freeway, and Route 80. Since this trip stays entirely within the Pacific Coast region, it is easily managed as a simple day trip that requires no overnight stops. With fuel costs estimated at just $3, this is an incredibly budget-friendly commute. It is a straightforward route that functions perfectly for a quick transit between these two California locations.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 5.1 mi 7m
Nimitz Freeway 1.2 mi 1m
Route 80 0.9 mi 1m
5th Street 0.9 mi 1m
Wilma Chan Way 0.8 mi 1m
Webster Street Tube 0.8 mi 1m
Lincoln Avenue 0.7 mi 2m
11th Street 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway — 5.1 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Alameda, CA.

1

Start on Market Street

312 ft · 7 sec · Market Street
2

Turn right onto 11th Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · 11th Street
3

Turn left onto Bryant Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · Bryant Street
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 25 sec
Toward I 80 East: Oakland Use the left / straight lanes.
5

Merge onto I 80

0.9 mi · 1 min · Route 80
6

Continue on I 80

5.1 mi · 7 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 42 sec
Exit 8A Toward I 880 South: Alameda, San Jose Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

1.2 mi · 1 min
Toward I 880 South Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Merge onto I 880

1.2 mi · 1 min · Nimitz Freeway
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 49 sec
Exit 42 Toward Broadway, Alameda Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn right onto 5th Street

0.2 mi · 19 sec · 5th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Continue on 5th Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · 5th Street
13

Turn slight left

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward Alameda Use the left / slight left / straight lanes.
14

Turn straight onto CA 61

0.8 mi · 1 min · Webster Street Tube
15

Turn slight left onto Wilma Chan Way

0.8 mi · 1 min · Wilma Chan Way
Toward Constitution Way, Marina Village Parkway Use the straight / slight left lanes.
16

Turn left onto Lincoln Avenue

0.7 mi · 2 min · Lincoln Avenue
17

Turn right onto Benton Street

0.3 mi · 46 sec · Benton Street
18

Turn slight left onto Alameda Avenue

28 ft · 0 sec · Alameda Avenue
19

Arrive at destination

Alameda Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 10.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
1 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward I 80 East: Oakland

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes. Toward I 80 East: Oakland
8
7.3 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward I 880 South: Alameda, San Jose

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 8A Toward I 880 South: Alameda, San Jose
7
7.8 mi into trip | ~13m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 880 South

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 880 South
8
10.2 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward Broadway, Alameda

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 42 Toward Broadway, Alameda
5
10.6 mi into trip | ~17m in | 5th Street

Turn right onto 5th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.29 one way

$6.57 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $3.39 $6.77
premium $6.18 $3.48 $6.96
diesel $5.61 $3.16 $6.31

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.3 0 $1.50 $0.69
Efficient EV 3.6 0 $1.25 $0.57
EV Truck/SUV 5.7 0 $2.00 $0.92

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 16, 2026

Origin

San Francisco, CA

Morning in San Francisco on Tuesday

Local time

6:44 AM

PDT

Current temp

70°F

Sunny

N 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 10:43AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Medford OR

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 10:32AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Destination

Alameda, CA

Morning in Alameda on Tuesday

Local time

6:44 AM

PDT

Current temp

47°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

23 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

25m 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 that demands your full attention as you navigate through the area. Only 15% of your time will be spent on highways, meaning the majority of your trip involves local maneuvering rather than long-distance cruising. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 5.1-mile section along the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Because the route is quite short, you won't experience the monotony of a long-haul interstate drive. Instead, be prepared for a dynamic pace that shifts from freeway speeds to local road conditions.

Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.1 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 14.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

54 ft -4 ft

Total Climb

67 ft

Total Descent

98 ft

Highest Point

54 ft

Elevation Range

58 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between San Francisco, CA and Alameda, CA, road signs point toward San Jose and Broadway.

San Jose

7.3 mi in | ~12m

Broadway

10.2 mi in | ~16m

About the Cities

Starting 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 25m. Total distance: 14.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

25m 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 5.1 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 Alameda, 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 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (5 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 Alameda, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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