Origin
Sonoma, CA
Morning in Sonoma on Tuesday
Local time
10:08 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sonoma, 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
1h 8m
Distance
45.8 mi
74 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sonoma, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Sonoma to San Francisco covers 44.7 miles and typically takes about 1 hour and 2 minutes. Because this is a short, direct journey within the Pacific Coast region, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You will navigate primarily via local roads, including Broadway, Leveroni Road, and Arnold Drive, rather than relying on high-speed interstates. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $6, this trip remains an affordable and straightforward transit. Whether you are heading into the city for a day or returning home, the route is manageable enough that you won't need to plan for any overnight stops along the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Highway | 18.6 mi | 24m |
| Arnold Drive | 9.5 mi | 13m |
| Sears Point Road | 7.2 mi | 8m |
| Leveroni Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Golden Gate Bridge | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Presidio Parkway | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Broadway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Webster Street | 1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Redwood Highway
— 18.6 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sonoma, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on CA 12
46 ft
·
5 sec
·
West Napa Street
2
Turn right onto CA 12
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway
Use the right lane.
3
Turn right onto Leveroni Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Leveroni Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto Arnold Drive
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Arnold Drive
5
At end of road, turn left onto CA 116
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Stage Gulch Road
6
Continue on CA 116
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Arnold Drive
7
Enter roundabout onto CA 121
130 ft
·
2 sec
·
Arnold Drive
8
Continue on CA 121
6.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Arnold Drive
9
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
10
Continue on this road
490 ft
·
13 sec
·
this road
11
Merge onto CA 37
7.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Sears Point Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
34 sec
13
Merge onto US 101
8.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
10 mi
·
13 min
·
Redwood Highway
Toward US 101: San Francisco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on US 101
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden Gate Bridge
16
Merge
34 ft
·
0 sec
17
Keep slight left at fork
130 ft
·
1 sec
18
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
19
Continue on US 101; CA 1
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Presidio Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Continue on US 101
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Richardson Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
21
Continue on US 101
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Lombard Street
22
Turn right onto Divisadero Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Divisadero Street
Use the right lane.
23
Turn left onto California Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
California Street
24
Turn right onto Webster Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Webster Street
Use the straight lane.
25
Turn left onto Oak Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Oak Street
Use the left lane.
26
Turn right onto Gough Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Gough Street
27
Turn slight left onto Market Street
183 ft
·
15 sec
·
Market Street
Use the slight left lane.
28
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
29
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.9 miles from Sonoma, 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 195 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 45.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CA 12 / Broadway
Turn right onto CA 12 / Broadway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
28.7 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
US 101 / Redwood Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101 / Redwood Highway toward US 101: San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 101: San Francisco
6
42.9 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
Divisadero Street
Turn right onto Divisadero Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
44.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
Webster Street
Turn right onto Webster Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
45.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
Oak Street
Turn left onto Oak Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.53 one way
$21.05 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.85 | $21.70 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.14 | $22.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.11 | $20.22 |
Estimated Tolls: $9.00
Golden Gate Bridge
$9.00
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Tolls
$9
Total
$20
Estimated CO2 emission: 16 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.81 | $2.20 |
| Efficient EV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.01 | $1.83 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.3 | 0 | $6.41 | $2.93 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
10:08 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
59°F
San Rafael, CA
23 mi in
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
22 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 8m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous highway cruise, this route features zero highway miles, meaning you will be navigating through local intersections and winding segments for the entire 44.7-mile duration. There are no long, uninterrupted stretches of road, as the route is defined by consistent turns rather than long-distance highway travel. The driving experience feels personal and localized, shifting away from the typical fast-paced interstate environment. Be prepared for a slower, more deliberate pace as you navigate the specific turns on Broadway, Leveroni Road, and Arnold Drive.
Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.6 mi on Redwood Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CA 12 / Broadway.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 45.8 miles you will encounter 19 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: near the start (CA 12 / Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 28.7 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 42.9 miles (Divisadero Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
170 ft
7 ft
Total Climb
433 ft
Total Descent
462 ft
Highest Point
170 ft
~39.3 mi in
Elevation Range
164 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Sonoma, CA
Full guide →Sonoma is a city in the Sonoma Valley within Sonoma County, in the north part of the Bay Area of California. With its central location in wine country, the city of Sonoma, with little over 10,000 residents, attracts thousands of visitors from around the world for wine tastings.
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 1h 8m. Total distance: 45.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.6 miles on Redwood Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $9.00 in tolls one way, starting with Golden Gate Bridge. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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: near the start (CA 12 / Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 28.7 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 42.9 miles (Divisadero Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Muir Woods National Monument and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (6 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From San Francisco, CA
More from Sonoma, CA
More trips to San Francisco, CA
Explore more options from Sonoma, CA or browse trips ending in San Francisco, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.