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Trip from San Francisco, CA to Albany, 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

21m

Distance

13.4 mi

22 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 20m ★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m ★

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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consolidated city and county in California, United States

San Francisco, CA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Alameda County, California, United States

Albany, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick commute or a short excursion within the Pacific Coast region, the 13.4-mile trip from San Francisco to Albany is an efficient choice. You can expect to complete this drive in roughly 21 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day journey. Navigating the route is straightforward, as you will primarily utilize the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, the Eastshore Freeway, and Route 80. With fuel costs estimated at just $3, this is an incredibly budget-friendly outing. Because the entire trip is confined to the Pacific Coast, you won't experience a major shift in geography, but it serves as a reliable link between these two California hubs. Since there are no required stops, you have the flexibility to head out whenever your schedule allows.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 6.4 mi 9m
Eastshore Freeway 3.2 mi 3m
Route 80 0.9 mi 1m
11th Street 0.6 mi 1m
Buchanan Street 0.5 mi 1m
Bryant Street 0.3 mi 1m
Marin Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Nimitz Freeway <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway — 6.4 mi, about 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

6.4 mi · 9 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 45 sec
Toward I 80 East Use the slight left lane.
8

Merge onto I 880

407 ft · 6 sec · Nimitz Freeway
9

Continue on I 80; I 580

3.2 mi · 3 min · Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 48 sec
Exit 13A Toward Buchanan Street, Albany Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn right onto Buchanan Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Buchanan Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Continue on Marin Avenue

0.1 mi · 15 sec · Marin Avenue
13

Turn left onto CA 123

98 ft · 13 sec · San Pablo Avenue
14

Arrive at destination

CA 123

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 12.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in | Bryant Street

Turn left onto Bryant Street

Navigation decision point

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
6
8.7 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward I 80 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 80 East
8
12.5 mi into trip | ~19m in

Take the exit toward Buchanan Street, Albany

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 13A Toward Buchanan Street, Albany
6
12.8 mi into trip | ~19m in | Buchanan Street

Turn right onto Buchanan Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.08 one way

$6.16 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $3.17 $6.35
premium $6.18 $3.26 $6.52
diesel $5.61 $2.96 $5.92

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4 0 $1.41 $0.64
Efficient EV 3.4 0 $1.17 $0.54
EV Truck/SUV 5.4 0 $1.88 $0.86

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 12, 2026

Origin

San Francisco, CA

Late night in San Francisco on Tuesday

Local time

1:08 AM

PDT

Current temp

61°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 13 mph 80% chance Live forecast

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 12 at 8:16AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Eureka CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 6:49AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Destination

Albany, CA

Late night in Albany on Tuesday

Local time

1:08 AM

PDT

Current temp

60°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 10 to 14 mph 83% chance Live forecast

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 12 at 8:16AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Eureka CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 6:49AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

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

1 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

21m 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?

This mixed drive balances urban connectivity with standard highway travel. About 31% of your journey will be spent on the highway, providing a steady pace as you move through the area. You will experience your longest uninterrupted stretch of 6.4 miles while traveling along the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Behind the wheel, you can expect a functional, straightforward experience rather than a winding scenic byway. The transition between these major arterial roads keeps the drive moving consistently, though you should be prepared for the typical flow of traffic associated with major California thoroughfares.

31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.4 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near Bryant Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 13.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Bryant Street): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

54 ft -4 ft

Total Climb

70 ft

Total Descent

81 ft

Highest Point

54 ft

Elevation Range

58 ft

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

Arriving in Albany, CA

Full guide →

Albany is a city in the inner East Bay in the Bay Area in 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 21m. Total distance: 13.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

21m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 6.4 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 Albany, 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 0.7 miles (Bryant Street): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Albany, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Return Trip

Albany, CA to San Francisco, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

14.1 mi 22m

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