Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
43.2 mi
69 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
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
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
This 43.2-mile drive from Sunnyvale, CA to Oakland, CA takes about 54 minutes and is a straightforward journey within the Pacific Coast region. It's an ideal day trip, requiring no overnight stays and keeping your fuel cost around $10. The route is predominantly highway-focused, making it a quick and efficient way to travel between these two Bay Area cities. You'll primarily be on I 880, also known as Nimitz Freeway and Southbay Freeway, offering a direct connection.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 17 mi | 19m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 15.6 mi | 18m |
| Southbay Freeway | 6.1 mi | 6m |
| South Mathilda Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| West El Camino Real | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Oak Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 12th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 14th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Sunnyvale, CA and Oakland, 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
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
Take the exit
Turn right onto Oak Street
Turn left onto 12th Street
Turn right onto Harrison Street
Turn left onto 14th Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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.
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 21.6 miles from Sunnyvale, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 42.9 — 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
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
Turn right onto Harrison Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$9.93 one way
$19.86 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.23 | $20.46 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.51 | $21.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.54 | $19.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13 | 0 | $4.54 | $2.07 |
| Efficient EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.78 | $1.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.05 | $2.76 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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
Late night in Sunnyvale on Tuesday
Local time
3:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Sunny
Destination
Late night in Oakland on Tuesday
Local time
3:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
51°F
Newark, CA
22 mi in
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 drive for 90% of this trip. The personality of this route is largely defined by its main arteries: I 880, Nimitz Freeway, and Southbay Freeway. You'll experience a longest stretch of 17 miles on I 880, which means extended periods of consistent highway speeds. While it's not a scenic tour, it’s designed for efficient travel, keeping you moving without many distractions or changes in road type.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and Nimitz 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 - 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 13 decision points packed into just 43.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
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.
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 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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 43.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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