Origin
San Francisco, CA
Late night in San Francisco on Tuesday
Local time
3:46 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to Palo Alto, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
33 mi
53 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Palo Alto, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
San Francisco to Palo Alto is 33 miles and takes about 43 minutes via Bayshore Freeway and Embarcadero Road, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within the Pacific Coast region, primarily traveling through urban and suburban areas of California. It's a straightforward drive, ideal for a quick trip between these two well-connected cities. You'll mostly be on the freeway, making it a utilitarian connection rather than a scenic escape. Consider this if you need to get from San Francisco to Palo Alto efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bayshore Freeway | 26.2 mi | 30m |
| James Lick Freeway | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Embarcadero Road | 1.1 mi | 3m |
| 11th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Bryant Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Middlefield Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bayshore Freeway
— 26.2 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Palo Alto, 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 Jose
Use 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
21 mi
·
24 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 402
Toward Embarcadero Road, Oregon Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward Stanford University, Embarcadero Road West
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn straight onto Embarcadero Road
1.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Embarcadero Road
11
Turn sharp left onto Middlefield Road
98 ft
·
3 sec
·
Middlefield Road
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
Middlefield Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 33 — 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
6
10.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
31.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward Embarcadero Road, Oregon Expressway
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 402
Toward Embarcadero Road, Oregon Expressway
9
31.8 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Stanford University, Embarcadero Road West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Stanford University, Embarcadero Road We...
7
33 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
Middlefield Road
Turn sharp left onto Middlefield Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.58 one way
$15.17 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.82 | $15.63 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.03 | $16.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.29 | $14.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.47 | $1.58 |
| Efficient EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.89 | $1.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.62 | $2.11 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Palo Alto, CA
Late night in Palo Alto on Tuesday
Local time
3:46 AM
PDT
Current temp
50°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
4 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
43m 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 is predominantly highway, with 92% of the 33 miles on freeway conditions. You'll experience a longest stretch of 26.2 miles on the Bayshore Freeway. Expect to encounter frequent exits and merging traffic as you transition from the freeway to surface streets like Embarcadero Road closer to Palo Alto. The profile is mostly highway, so plan for typical freeway driving.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.2 mi on Bayshore Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bayshore Freeway and James Lick Freeway. 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
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 8 decision points packed into just 33 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
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 10.6 miles (US 101 / Bayshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Palo Alto, CA
Full guide →Founded 1894
Top landmarks
- • HP Garage — founding site of the company Hewlett-Packard, "birthplace of Silicon Valley"
- • Hanna–Honeycomb House — historic house in California, United States
- • Palo Alto station — railway station in Palo Alto, 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 43m. Total distance: 33 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.2 miles on Bayshore Freeway. 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 Palo Alto, 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 10.6 miles (US 101 / Bayshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Palo Alto, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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