Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
19.8 mi
32 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sunnyvale, CA
Wikimedia Commons
If you are planning a quick commute or connection between Sunnyvale and Fremont, you are looking at a brief 19.8-mile journey. This trip typically takes about 27 minutes, making it a straightforward day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via the Nimitz Freeway, Southbay Freeway, and South Mathilda Avenue. With a fuel budget of just $5, it is an incredibly cost-effective route for travelers moving across the Pacific Coast region. Since both cities reside in the same coastal area, the transition between them is seamless and efficient. It is a highly practical drive for those who value speed and simplicity over a leisurely scenic tour.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nimitz Freeway | 8.7 mi | 10m |
| Southbay Freeway | 6.1 mi | 6m |
| South Mathilda Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Mowry Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West El Camino Real | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Sunnyvale, CA and Fremont, CA.
Start on CA 82
Turn slight left
Turn sharp left onto CA 82
Turn right onto South Mathilda Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto CA 237
Take the exit
Merge onto I 880
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880
Take the exit
Turn right onto Mowry Avenue
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 18.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn sharp left onto CA 82 / West El Camino Real
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Turn right onto South Mathilda Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 880 North: Oakland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$4.55 one way
$9.10 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.69 | $9.38 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.82 | $9.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.37 | $8.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 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 | $2.08 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.73 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Sunnyvale on Tuesday
Local time
6:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Sunny
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 11:09AM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Destination
Morning in Fremont on Tuesday
Local time
6:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
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
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.
Expect a highway-focused experience, as 75% of this 19.8-mile route consists of high-speed transit. You will spend a significant portion of your time on major corridors, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 8.7 miles on the Nimitz Freeway. The drive feels like a standard interstate run rather than a winding backroad, prioritizing efficiency over technical maneuvering. As you transition from the local streets of Sunnyvale to the freeway network, the pace quickens significantly. Be prepared for a consistent, utilitarian driving environment that stays focused on getting you from point A to point B as quickly as possible.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Nimitz Freeway and Southbay Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near CA 82 / West El Camino Real.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 19.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CA 82 / West El Camino Real): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.4 miles (South Mathilda Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
76 ft
Total Descent
146 ft
Highest Point
124 ft
Elevation Range
118 ft
Sunnyvale is a city in the South Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California. Sunnyvale was ranked the 5th safest city in the United States in its size category for 2004.
Founded 1956
Fremont is a suburban city in the southern part of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area by population. Fremont is in the southern part of Alameda County, California, between Union City to the north, Sunol and the hills to the east, Milpitas and Santa Clara County to the south, and the San Francisco Bay to the west. The city of Newark, near the edge of the Bay, is surrounded by the city of Fremont. Fremont industry is not particularly large relative to other parts of the Bay Area, but neither is it a bedroom community. Many people in Fremont work locally in the electronics and high-tech industry, while many others commute to Silicon Valley or San Francisco locations for work.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 19.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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.
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