Origin
San Mateo, CA
Morning in San Mateo on Tuesday
Local time
8:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from San Mateo, CA to San Francisco, 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
26m
Distance
19.5 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Mateo, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
San Mateo to San Francisco is 19.5 miles and takes about 26 minutes via Bayshore Freeway, James Lick Freeway, and Central Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, connecting two points in California. Given its brevity and mostly highway profile, this is a straightforward and quick drive, easily accomplished in under an hour. It's ideal for those looking for a direct connection between these two Bay Area locations without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bayshore Freeway | 12.4 mi | 14m |
| James Lick Freeway | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Central Freeway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Octavia Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East 4th Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East 3rd Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| South Delaware Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bayshore Freeway
— 12.4 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Mateo, CA and San Francisco, 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
373 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Delaware Street
4
Turn left onto East 4th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 4th Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto East 4th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 4th Avenue
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Use the right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 416
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Merge onto US 101
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on US 101
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
James Lick Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on US 101
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Freeway
Toward Civic Center, Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
14
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 1.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East 4th Avenue
Turn left onto East 4th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East 4th Avenue
Keep slight left at fork onto East 4th Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
9
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 416
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Merge onto US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.48 one way
$8.96 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.62 | $9.24 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.74 | $9.48 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.31 | $8.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.73 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
San Francisco, CA
Morning in San Francisco on Tuesday
Local time
8:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°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.
Road read
26m 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 on the highway, with 89% of the route utilizing freeways. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 12.4 miles on the Bayshore Freeway before transitioning. The final portion of the drive will involve navigating surface streets as you reach your destination in San Francisco.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.4 mi on Bayshore Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.5 miles in near East 4th Avenue.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 11 decision points packed into just 19.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (East 4th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (East 4th Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from San Mateo, CA to San Francisco, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Civic Center along the way.
Civic Center
17.9 mi in
|
~23m
|
via US 101
About the Cities
Arriving 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 26m. Total distance: 19.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.4 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 San Francisco, 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 0.5 miles (East 4th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (East 4th Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Francisco, 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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