Origin
San Francisco, CA
Afternoon in San Francisco on Friday
Local time
4:59 PM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to Pittsburg, 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
52m
Distance
40.5 mi
65 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Pittsburg, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
San Francisco to Pittsburg is 40.5 miles and takes about 52 minutes via Caldecott Tunnel and CA 4, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, moving from the San Francisco Bay Area eastward. Expect a straightforward drive that's easy to fit into a single day, whether you're heading out for a specific event or just need to get from point A to point B. It's a practical route for connecting these two California communities without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Caldecott Tunnel | 9.8 mi | 11m |
| CA 4 | 7.8 mi | 8m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 5.8 mi | 8m |
| CA 242 | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Grove Shafter Freeway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Route 80 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Railroad Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Caldecott Tunnel
— 9.8 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Pittsburg, 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
5.8 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 8B
Toward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-Stockton
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 580
0.6 mi
·
42 sec
·
MacArthur Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19B
Toward CA 24 East: Berkeley, Walnut Creek
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward CA 24 East: Walnut Creek
11
Merge onto CA 24
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Grove Shafter Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 24
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Grove Shafter Freeway
13
Continue on CA 24
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Caldecott Tunnel
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 680
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 242
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
CA 242
Exit 50
Toward CA 242 North: Concord, Pittsburg
Use the slight right lane.
16
Merge onto CA 4
7.8 mi
·
8 min
·
CA 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 23
Toward Railroad Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn left onto Railroad Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Railroad Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto East 10th Street
123 ft
·
2 sec
·
East 10th Street
Use the right lane.
20
Arrive at destination
East 10th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 40.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from San Francisco, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 39.4 — 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
8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-Stockton
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 8B
Toward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-St...
8
9.6 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward CA 24 East: Berkeley, Walnut Creek
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 19B
Toward CA 24 East: Berkeley, Walnut Creek
9
27.7 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
CA 242
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 242 toward CA 242 North: Concord, Pittsburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 50
Toward CA 242 North: Concord, Pittsburg
7
39.4 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Take the exit toward Railroad Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 23
Toward Railroad Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.23 one way
$18.45 round trip
$5.79/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $9.50 | $19.00 |
| premium | $6.14 | $9.79 | $19.58 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $9.51 | $19.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.25 | $1.94 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Pittsburg, CA
Afternoon in Pittsburg on Friday
Local time
4:59 PM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
52m 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 route features a mixed highway and surface road profile, with 41% of the drive on freeways. You'll navigate a 9.8-mile stretch through the Caldecott Tunnel, which marks a significant portion of your time on a main artery. After the tunnel, the drive transitions to surface roads for the remainder of the trip. Be prepared for urban merging and a change in pace as you exit the freeway system.
41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.8 mi on Caldecott Tunnel.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 16 decision points packed into just 40.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,384 ft
-4 ft
Total Climb
1,659 ft
Total Descent
1,688 ft
Highest Point
1,384 ft
~14.5 mi in
Elevation Range
1,388 ft
Notable High Points
1,384 ft at ~14.5 miles
+814 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Pittsburg, CA, road signs point toward Hayward-Stockton and Walnut Creek.
Hayward-Stockton
8 mi in
|
~13m
Walnut Creek
9.6 mi in
|
~15m
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 Pittsburg, CA
Full guide →Founded 1839
Pittsburg is a city of 76,000 people (2020) in the east part of Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area on the west edge of the San Francisco Bay Delta.
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 52m. Total distance: 40.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.8 miles on Caldecott Tunnel. 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 Pittsburg, 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 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pittsburg, 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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