Origin
San Mateo, CA
Morning in San Mateo on Tuesday
Local time
8:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from San Mateo, CA to Oakland, 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
39m
Distance
30.8 mi
50 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Mateo, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning just 30.8 miles, this quick connection between San Mateo and Oakland is a straightforward journey along the Pacific Coast that easily fits into a single day. You can expect to spend about 37 minutes on the road, making it a highly efficient trip that doesn't require any overnight stays. Budgeting roughly $7 for fuel will cover the entire route, which relies heavily on local thoroughfares rather than major interstates. Because this is a short, localized drive, it serves as a perfect bridge between these two Bay Area hubs. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a day of exploring, the minimal time commitment provides plenty of flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nimitz Freeway | 14 mi | 15m |
| J Arthur Younger Freeway | 12.4 mi | 14m |
| South Delaware Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East 3rd Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Oak Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 12th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 14th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Harrison Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Nimitz Freeway
— 14 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Mateo, CA and Oakland, CA.
1
Start on CA 82
96 ft
·
6 sec
·
South El Camino Real
2
Turn right onto East 3rd Avenue
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
East 3rd Avenue
3
Turn right onto South Delaware Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South Delaware Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Toward CA 92 East: San Mateo–Hayward Bridge, Hayward
5
Merge onto CA 92
12 mi
·
14 min
·
J Arthur Younger Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Exit 26A; 26B; 25B
Toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose, Hesperian Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Exit 26B
Toward I 880 North, CA 92 East: Oakland, Downtown Hayward
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 880
14 mi
·
15 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 41A
Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto Oak Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Oak Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn left onto 12th Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
12th Street
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn right onto Harrison Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Harrison Street
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto 14th Street
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
·
14th Street
16
Arrive at destination
14th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 14.3 and 29.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
14.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose, Hesperian Boulevard
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 26A; 26B; 25B
Toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose, Hesperian Boul...
8
14.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 880: Oakland, San Jose
7
15.2 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 880 North, CA 92 East: Oakland, Downtown Hayward
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 26B
Toward I 880 North, CA 92 East: Oakland, Downto...
8
15.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 880 North: Oakland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
8
29.6 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
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 41A
Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.08 one way
$14.16 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.29 | $14.59 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.49 | $14.98 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.80 | $13.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.31 | $1.97 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Oakland, CA
Morning in Oakland on Tuesday
Local time
8:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Sunny
NNW 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 12:28PM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 12:28PM PDT until April 17 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
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
39m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you alert from start to finish. You will navigate through city streets using East 3rd Avenue and South Delaware Street before transitioning onto CA 92 East. With 0% highway share, the experience is defined by urban maneuvering rather than the high-speed monotony of a freeway. There are no extended, uninterrupted stretches, meaning the road requires constant attention as you navigate through the local infrastructure. This isn't a cruise-control type of trip, but rather a practical, hands-on drive that demands you stay engaged with the flow of local traffic.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14 mi on Nimitz Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Nimitz Freeway and J Arthur Younger Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 14.3 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 14 decision points packed into just 30.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Mateo, CA and Oakland, CA, road signs point toward Hayward and San Jose.
Hayward
1.8 mi in
|
~3m
San Jose
14.3 mi in
|
~18m
About the Cities
Arriving in Oakland, CA
Full guide →Founded 1852
Oakland is a port city in the Bay Area of California in the United States. Once an industrial area overshadowed by San Francisco, its larger neighbor to the west, this city of 440,000 people (2020) has begun to step out from under San Francisco's shadow with its notable natural and architectural features and its rise as the multicultural "hipster" city of the Bay Area.
Top landmarks
- • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge — suspension bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland, California, USA
- • Lake Merritt — lagoon in Oakland, California, USA
- • Oakland Museum of California — art museum in Oakland, 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 39m. Total distance: 30.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14 miles on Nimitz 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 Oakland, 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 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Oakland, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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