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Trip from San Francisco, CA to Tracy, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 17m

Distance

62.4 mi

100 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$14

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 12m ★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 14m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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consolidated city and county in California, United States

San Francisco, CA

Wikimedia Commons

city in San Joaquin County, California, United States

Tracy, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

San Francisco to Tracy is 62.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 17 minutes via the Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway, MacArthur Freeway, and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $14 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route primarily stays within the Pacific Coast region, keeping you in California for the entire journey. It's a straightforward, highway-focused drive that's perfect for a quick trip, whether you're heading out for a day or just need to get from point A to point B efficiently. Consider this a practical option when you need to cover ground without a lot of fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway 29.3 mi 33m
MacArthur Freeway 15.9 mi 18m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 5.8 mi 8m
I 205 Bus 4.3 mi 6m
Robert T. Monagan Freeway 3.9 mi 4m
Route 80 0.9 mi 1m
11th Street 0.6 mi 1m
Bryant Street 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway — 29.3 mi, about 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Tracy, 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

16 mi · 18 min · MacArthur Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9

Merge onto I 580

12 mi · 13 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork onto I 580

18 mi · 20 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 205

3.9 mi · 4 min · Robert T. Monagan Freeway
Toward I 205 East: Tracy, Stockton
12

Keep slight right at fork onto I 205 Bus

4.3 mi · 6 min · I 205 Bus
Toward Eleventh Street
13

Arrive at destination

I 205 Bus

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Cherryland, CA, CA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Cherryland, CA

31 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

Oakland, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Castro Valley, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 31.2 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 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 54.3 — 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...
5
9 mi into trip | ~14m in | I 580 / MacArthur Freeway

Merge onto I 580 / MacArthur Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
36.4 mi into trip | ~46m in | I 580 / Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
54.3 mi into trip | ~1h 6m in | I 205 / Robert T. Monagan Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 205 / Robert T. Monagan Freeway toward I 205 East: Tracy, Stockton

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 205 East: Tracy, Stockton

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$14.34 one way

$28.68 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $14.78 $29.56
premium $6.18 $15.17 $30.35
diesel $5.61 $13.78 $27.55

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$14

Estimated CO2 emission: 21.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 18.7 0 $6.55 $3.00
Efficient EV 15.6 0 $5.46 $2.50
EV Truck/SUV 25 0 $8.74 $3.99

Gas CO2

22 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (68% 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 17, 2026

Origin

San Francisco, CA

Morning in San Francisco on Sunday

Local time

7:35 AM

PDT

Current temp

52°F

Clear

N 8 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 3:02AM MST until April 17 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 2:56AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Destination

Tracy, CA

Morning in Tracy on Sunday

Local time

7:35 AM

PDT

Current temp

69°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

17 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

1h 17m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is predominantly a highway-focused experience, with 87% of the journey on major freeways. You'll spend most of your time on the Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway, MacArthur Freeway, and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 29.3 miles on the Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway, offering a solid period of consistent travel. While it's largely a freeway cruise, expect the typical traffic flow and urban transitions common to this part of California.

87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.3 mi on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway and MacArthur Freeway. 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 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 62.4 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

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 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Tracy, CA, road signs point toward Hayward-Stockton and Stockton.

Hayward-Stockton

8 mi in | ~13m

Stockton

54.3 mi in | ~1h 6m | via I 205

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

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 1h 17m. Total distance: 62.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 29.3 miles on Arthur H. Breed Junior 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 Tracy, 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 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Tracy, 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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