Origin
Sutter, CA
Late night in Sutter on Tuesday
Local time
2:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sutter, CA to Sacramento, 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 1m
Distance
49 mi
79 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
0h 56m
★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 11m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 5m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 58m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sutter, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Sacramento, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Sutter to Sacramento is 49 miles and takes about 1 hour 1 minute via CA 99, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused drive connecting two points within California's Pacific Coast region. You'll primarily be on major roadways, making it a quick and efficient trip. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing plenty of time for activities at your destination. It's a practical choice for travelers looking to cover ground without significant detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 99 | 34.8 mi | 41m |
| Colusa Highway | 6.4 mi | 8m |
| Westside Freeway | 5.5 mi | 6m |
| Acacia Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| H Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| J Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 5th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 9th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 99
— 34.8 mi, about 41m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sutter, CA and Sacramento, CA.
1
Start on Nelson Street
271 ft
·
17 sec
·
Nelson Street
2
Turn left onto Acacia Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Acacia Avenue
3
Turn left onto CA 20
6.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Colusa Highway
4
Turn right onto CA 99
35 mi
·
41 min
·
CA 99
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Merge onto I 5
5.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 519B
Toward Downtown, J Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on J Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
J Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto 5th Street
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
5th Street
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn right onto H Street
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
H Street
10
Turn right onto 9th Street
490 ft
·
15 sec
·
9th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Arrive at destination
9th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.5 miles from Sutter, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 7.7 and 48.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
7.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CA 99
Turn right onto CA 99
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
42.5 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
I 5 / Westside Freeway
Merge onto I 5 / Westside Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
48 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward Downtown, J Street
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 519B
Toward Downtown, J Street
7
48.4 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
5th Street
Turn left onto 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
48.9 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
9th Street
Turn right onto 9th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.26 one way
$22.52 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.61 | $23.21 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.92 | $23.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.82 | $21.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.15 | $2.35 |
| Efficient EV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.29 | $1.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.6 | 0 | $6.86 | $3.14 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Sacramento, CA
Late night in Sacramento on Tuesday
Local time
2:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Partly Cloudy
SSE 2 mph
0% chance
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.
Temperature spread
24 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 1m 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?
This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 82% of the journey on major roads like CA 99 and the Westside Freeway. You can expect long stretches of consistent travel, including a continuous segment of 34.8 miles on CA 99. The character of the drive is one of efficiency, designed for covering distance quickly rather than for scenic exploration. While there are opportunities to use local roads like Colusa Highway, the main arteries dominate the experience, offering a predictable driving pace.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 34.8 mi on CA 99.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 99 and Colusa Highway. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 7.7 miles in near CA 99.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 49 miles you will encounter 8 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: at 7.7 miles (CA 99): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.5 miles (I 5 / Westside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 48 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Sutter, CA
Full guide →Founded 1871
Arriving in Sacramento, CA
Full guide →Founded 1849
Sacramento is the state capital of California in the United States. It is the regional center for the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, which dominates much of the surrounding Sacramento Valley and stretches into parts of Gold Country. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, settled between the confluences of the Sacramento and American rivers. The city has been the site of many important historic events that have shaped California and U.S. history, most notably the California Gold Rush and location of the original terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Much of this historical legacy has been preserved, especially in the historic Old Sacramento district, where buildings and railroads from that era continue to attract visitors. However, Sacramento is not a city that is stuck in the past. As the capital of the most populous U.S.
Top landmarks
- • California State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of California
- • Crocker Art Museum — art museum in Sacramento, California
- • Sacramento Valley Station — main railroad and light rail station in Sacramento, 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 1h 1m. Total distance: 49 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 34.8 miles on CA 99. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 7.7 miles (CA 99): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.5 miles (I 5 / Westside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 48 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sacramento, 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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