San Francisco to Monterey is 112.8 miles and takes about 2h 19m via Cabrillo Highway, Bayshore Freeway, and CA 17, with a fuel budget near $26 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within California, beginning in the Pacific Coast region and ending in the same area. With over 60% of the route on highways, it’s a fairly direct trip, making it ideal for a single-day excursion. You'll find it a straightforward drive, perfect for when you want to get to your destination efficiently while still enjoying the coastal proximity.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
56.4 miles from San Francisco, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 9m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Cabrillo Highway
40.2 mi
46m
Bayshore Freeway
30.2 mi
34m
CA 17
21.5 mi
29m
CA 85
13.3 mi
15m
James Lick Freeway
4.3 mi
6m
Fremont Street
0.6 mi
1m
11th Street
0.6 mi
1m
Munras Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Cabrillo Highway
— 40.2 mi, about 46m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Monterey, 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
4.3 mi·6 min·James Lick Freeway
Toward US 101 South: San JoseUse the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on US 101
5.2 mi·6 min·Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
25 mi·28 min·Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 85
13 mi·15 min·CA 85
Exit 398BToward CA 85 South: Cupertino, Santa CruzUse the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi·14 sec
Exit 11AToward CA 17: San Jose, Santa CruzUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi·35 sec
Toward CA 17 South: Santa CruzUse the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto CA 17
21 mi·29 min·CA 17
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi·22 sec
Exit 1BToward Watsonville, MontereyUse the right lane.
13
Continue on Cabrillo Highway
0.4 mi·54 sec·Cabrillo Highway
14
Merge onto CA 1
40 mi·46 min·Cabrillo Highway
Use the slight left lane.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi·40 sec
Exit 401AToward MontereyUse the slight right lane.
16
Keep slight left at fork
226 ft·7 sec
Use the straight lane.
17
Continue on CA 1 Business
0.6 mi·1 min·Fremont Street
Use the straight lane.
18
Continue on Fremont Street
194 ft·5 sec·Fremont Street
19
Continue on Munras Avenue
0.2 mi·29 sec·Munras Avenue
20
Turn left onto Jefferson Street
0.1 mi·20 sec·Jefferson Street
21
Turn right onto Pacific Street
0.1 mi·18 sec·Pacific Street
22
Turn right onto West Franklin Street
324 ft·8 sec·West Franklin Street
23
Arrive at destination
West Franklin Street
Trip Plan
For this 112.8-mile drive, leaving San Francisco in the morning should allow you to reach Monterey with plenty of daylight. Since the total duration is under 2.5 hours, you don't necessarily need to break it up, offering flexibility. The fuel cost is estimated at $26, so ensure your tank is adequately filled before departing, as you won't be covering extreme distances. Pay attention to signage for CA 17, as it can have various speed limits and traffic patterns as you get closer to Monterey.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 56.4 miles from San Francisco, CA, or about 1h 9m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 40.2 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 25 miles or 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 56.4 miles or 1h 9m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 54m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Monterey, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving San Francisco, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from San Francisco, CA
This is one driving day of about 112.8 miles and 2h 19m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 miles from San Francisco, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Cabrillo Highway for about 40.2 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 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 35.6 and 111.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
35.6 mi into trip|~43m in|CA 85
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 85 toward CA 85 South: Cupertino, Santa Cruz
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 398B
Toward CA 85 South: Cupertino, Santa Cruz
8
48.9 mi into trip|~59m in
Take the exit toward CA 17: San Jose, Santa Cruz
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 11A
Toward CA 17: San Jose, Santa Cruz
7
49 mi into trip|~59m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 17 South: Santa Cruz
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CA 17 South: Santa Cruz
8
70.8 mi into trip|~1h 29m in
Take the exit toward Watsonville, Monterey
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 1B
Toward Watsonville, Monterey
7
111.4 mi into trip|~2h 16m in
Take the exit toward Monterey
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 401A
Toward Monterey
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$25.57 one way
$51.13 round trip
$5.76/gal25.4 MPG avg40 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.96
$26.45
$52.90
premium
$6.09
$27.05
$54.11
diesel
$5.40
$23.99
$47.99
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$26
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$51–$76
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 39.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
33.8
0
$11.84
$5.41
Efficient EV
28.2
0
$9.87
$4.51
EV Truck/SUV
45.1
0
$15.79
$7.22
Gas CO2
39 kg
EV CO2
13 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.
Forecast as of Apr 25, 2026
Origin
San Francisco, CA
Afternoon
in San Francisco on Saturday
Local time
1:18 PM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Mostly Cloudy
W 5 to 10 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 24 at 6:10PM PDT until April 27 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 24 at 2:04PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Destination
Monterey, CA
Afternoon
in Monterey on Saturday
Local time
1:18 PM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Cloudy
WNW 5 to 10 mph12% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 24 at 6:10PM PDT until April 27 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 24 at 2:04PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
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.
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
2h 19m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
National Historical Park
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is mostly highway, with 61% of the 112.8 miles spent on freeways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 40.2 miles on Cabrillo Highway before transitioning to other road types. Expect a good amount of highway cruising, likely with merging traffic as you navigate between the Bayshore Freeway and CA 17. The latter part of the drive will involve more surface street driving as you approach Monterey.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 40.2 mi on Cabrillo Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Cabrillo Highway and Bayshore Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 35.6 miles in near CA 85.
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 16 significant decision points across 112.8 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 35.6 miles (CA 85): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 48.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 49 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Monterey, CA, road signs point toward Santa Cruz and Watsonville.
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
Monterey is a city (population 28,000 in 2018) in the Monterey County area of Monterey Bay in California. Monterey is one of the more beautiful coastal cities of California, and then a historic city can make for a great two-day trip for those visiting San Francisco or a weekend getaway for California natives. It has more historic buildings in its downtown than any other city west of Santa Fe, and a world-class aquarium.
Top landmarks
•Monterey Bay Aquarium — nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California
•Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo — historic church in California, United States
•Old Customhouse — custom house in Monterey, United States of America
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 19m. Total distance: 112.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 40.2 miles on Cabrillo Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 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 Monterey, 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. There are 7 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 35.6 miles (CA 85): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 48.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 49 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 Monterey, CA before heading back.
