Origin
San Francisco, CA
Afternoon in San Francisco on Friday
Local time
1:50 PM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to El Granada, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 11, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
25.1 mi
40 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
El Granada, CA
Irina Sakovich
Trip Overview
San Francisco to El Granada is 25.1 miles and takes about 36 minutes via Cabrillo Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip takes you from the Pacific Coast region to another part of the Pacific Coast. The drive is mostly on surface roads, making it a relaxed option for a quick coastal excursion. It's a straightforward route for anyone looking to experience a bit more of the California coastline without committing to a long haul.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cabrillo Highway | 11.2 mi | 17m |
| John F Foran Freeway | 4.2 mi | 4m |
| CA 1 | 3.6 mi | 3m |
| James Lick Freeway | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Junipero Serra Freeway | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| Avenue Alhambra | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 11th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Bryant Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Cabrillo Highway
— 11.2 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and El Granada, 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
470 ft
·
18 sec
·
Bryant Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
5
Merge onto US 101
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
James Lick Freeway
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 431
Toward I 280 South: Daly City
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 280 South: Daly City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 280
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
John F Foran Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 280
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Junipero Serra Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 1
3.6 mi
·
3 min
·
CA 1
Exit 47B
Toward CA 1 South: Pacifica
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on CA 1
11 mi
·
17 min
·
Cabrillo Highway
Exit 505
Toward Sharp Park Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn left onto Capistrano Road
111 ft
·
2 sec
·
Capistrano Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto Avenue Alhambra
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Avenue Alhambra
14
Turn left onto Avenue Portola
72 ft
·
3 sec
·
Avenue Portola
15
Arrive at destination
Avenue Portola
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 9.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 101 / James Lick Freeway
Merge onto US 101 / James Lick Freeway toward US 101 South: San Jose
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
7
3.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward I 280 South: Daly City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 431
Toward I 280 South: Daly City
8
3.4 mi into trip
|
~6m 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
5
3.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 280 / John F Foran Freeway
Merge onto I 280 / John F Foran Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
9.6 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
CA 1
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 1 toward CA 1 South: Pacifica
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 47B
Toward CA 1 South: Pacifica
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.72 one way
$11.44 round trip
$5.79/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $5.89 | $11.78 |
| premium | $6.14 | $6.07 | $12.13 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $5.90 | $11.79 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.64 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.51 | $1.61 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
El Granada, CA
Afternoon in El Granada on Friday
Local time
1:50 PM
PDT
Current temp
56°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
5 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
36m 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?
This drive features a mixed highway and surface road profile, with 46% of the route on major highways. You'll encounter your longest stretch of continuous highway driving for 11.2 miles on Cabrillo Highway. After that, expect to transition to surface roads for the remainder of the trip, likely with more local traffic and intersections.
46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.2 mi on Cabrillo Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 1.1 miles in near US 101 / James Lick Freeway.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 11 decision points packed into just 25.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (US 101 / James Lick Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
603 ft
31 ft
Total Climb
1,052 ft
Total Descent
1,072 ft
Highest Point
603 ft
~10.8 mi in
Elevation Range
573 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 El Granada, CA
Full guide →The Peninsula (or San Francisco Peninsula) region of the San Francisco Bay Area lies immediately south of the City and County of San Francisco—reaching from its famous neighbor to the north into the high-tech region of Silicon Valley. For purposes of this travel guide, the Peninsula is synonymous with San Mateo County. While many of the Peninsula's residents work and play to the north or south, the Peninsula has its attractions, including some beautiful wilderness areas. The Peninsula has two coasts—one on the San Francisco Bay, the other on the Pacific Ocean—but few major cities or ports. The Santa Cruz Mountains divide the region in half north-south, with a large wilderness area that's great for hiking and mountain biking.
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 36m. Total distance: 25.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.2 miles on Cabrillo 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 El Granada, 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 1.1 miles (US 101 / James Lick Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 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 El Granada, 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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