Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
7h 8m
Distance
378.7 mi
610 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$87
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Maria, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco to Santa Maria is 378.7 miles and takes about 7h 8m via Westside Freeway and I 5 Truck, with a fuel budget near $87 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive primarily stays within California's Pacific Coast region, offering a highway-focused experience. With a recommended one-day trip, you'll spend most of your time on major freeways. Consider this route if you prioritize reaching your destination efficiently, as it's designed for steady progress rather than extensive sightseeing.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
189.4 miles from San Francisco, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 31m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Westside Freeway | 224.4 mi | 4h |
| I 5 Truck | 58.6 mi | 1h 7m |
| Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway | 29.3 mi | 33m |
| William Elton Brown Freeway | 17 mi | 18m |
| MacArthur Freeway | 15.9 mi | 18m |
| I 405 Truck | 9 mi | 10m |
| Ventura Freeway | 7.2 mi | 8m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 5.8 mi | 8m |
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Santa Maria, CA.
Start on Market Street
Turn right onto 11th Street
Turn left onto Bryant Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 80
Continue on I 80
Take the exit
Merge onto I 580
Merge onto I 580
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
Merge onto I 5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 Truck
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto US 101
Take the exit
Turn left onto Canoga Avenue
Turn left onto Saltillo Street
Turn left onto Golondrina Street
Turn right onto Alhama Drive
At end of road, turn left onto Mulholland Drive
Continue on Santa Maria Road
Arrive at destination
Given this is a single-day drive, aim for an early morning departure from San Francisco to maximize daylight and avoid potential traffic. With only 2 recommended stops, plan your breaks strategically, perhaps around the halfway point or when you feel the need to stretch. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially during the longest stretch of 224.4 miles, as services can be spread out on these major highways. It's wise to fill up before embarking on longer segments.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
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 83 miles or 1h 37m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 189.4 miles or 3h 31m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 52m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Santa Maria, CA than in the middle of the route.
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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Day 1
Settle into the route from San Francisco, CA
This is one driving day of about 378.7 miles and 7h 8m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
189 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.
A short stop after about 83 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 189.4 miles from San Francisco, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Westside Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 224.4 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 8 and 367.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 405 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward US 101 South, US 101 North: Los Angeles, Ventura
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward US 101 North: Ventura, Ventura Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$87.04 one way
$174.08 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $89.70 | $179.39 |
| premium | $6.18 | $92.10 | $184.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $83.61 | $167.22 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$87
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$112–$137
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 132.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $40 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 113.6 | 1 | $39.76 | $18.18 |
| Efficient EV | 94.7 | 1 | $33.14 | $15.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 151.5 | 1 | $53.02 | $24.24 |
Gas CO2
133 kg
EV CO2
44 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in San Francisco on Tuesday
Local time
4:09 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Clear
Destination
Late night in Santa Maria on Tuesday
Local time
4:09 AM
PDT
Current temp
41°F
Mostly Clear
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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National Monument
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National Memorial
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Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Expect a highway-focused drive for this itinerary, with 97% of the journey on major roads like the Westside Freeway and I 5 Truck. You'll encounter one substantial stretch of 224.4 miles on the Westside Freeway, meaning long periods of consistent speed and limited opportunities for spontaneous stops. The character of the drive remains largely consistent, emphasizing forward momentum over varied terrain or scenic detours.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and I 5 Truck. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8 miles in.
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 23 significant decision points across 378.7 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 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36.4 miles (I 580 / Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 358.1 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
“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
Founded 1874
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County in California.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 7h 8m. Total distance: 378.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
7h 8m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
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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