Origin
Tracy, CA
Morning in Tracy on Sunday
Local time
7:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tracy, CA to San Francisco, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
63.1 mi
101 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tracy, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick getaway from the Central Valley to the coast, this 63.1-mile journey from Tracy to San Francisco is a straightforward option. You can expect a drive time of roughly 1 hour and 17 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. Budget about $15 for fuel to cover the distance between these two Pacific Coast locations. Since the entire route stays within California, you won't have to worry about crossing state lines or navigating complex border logistics. Whether you are heading out for business or a change of scenery, the trip is short enough that you won't need to plan for overnight stays. It is a highly practical connection that gets you from the interior valley into the heart of the city with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway | 29.7 mi | 34m |
| MacArthur Freeway | 15.5 mi | 17m |
| West 11th Street | 8.1 mi | 10m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6 mi | 9m |
| Route 80 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Octavia Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Central Freeway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
— 29.7 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tracy, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on I 205 Bus
8.1 mi
·
10 min
·
West 11th Street
2
Continue on I 580
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
MacArthur Freeway
Toward I 580: Oakland, San Francisco
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
7.2 mi
·
8 min
·
MacArthur Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19A
Toward I 80 West: San Francisco
7
Merge onto I 80
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Toward I 80 West: San Francisco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn slight left onto I 80
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the slight left lane.
10
Continue on I 80
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
Route 80
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
11
Continue on I 80
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 80
Exit 2A
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Continue on I 80
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
·
Route 80
Exit 1A
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto US 101
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Central Freeway
15
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
18
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.5 miles from Tracy, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 26.1 and 61.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
26.1 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 580 / Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
37.8 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
I 580 / MacArthur Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / MacArthur Freeway toward I 580: Oakland, San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 580: Oakland, San Francisco
6
46.1 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
I 580 / MacArthur Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580 / MacArthur Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
54.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
I 80 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge onto I 80 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway toward I 80 West: San Francisco
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 80 West: San Francisco
8
61.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.50 one way
$29.01 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $14.95 | $29.89 |
| premium | $6.18 | $15.35 | $30.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.93 | $27.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.9 | 0 | $6.63 | $3.03 |
| Efficient EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.52 | $2.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.2 | 0 | $8.83 | $4.04 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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 Sunday
Local time
7:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°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.
Temperature spread
25 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 17m 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 trip is heavily focused on highway travel, with 74% of your time spent on major thoroughfares. You will spend a significant portion of the drive navigating the Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway, which features the longest uninterrupted stretch of 29.7 miles. As you transition from the local streets of West 11th Street onto the MacArthur Freeway, the pace of the drive shifts noticeably. Expect a consistent, highway-focused experience that prioritizes efficiency over technical, winding backroads. Being behind the wheel here means settling into a steady flow of traffic as you move toward the coast, with the road character remaining largely uniform throughout the duration of the trip.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.7 mi on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway and MacArthur Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 26.1 miles in near I 580 / Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 63.1 miles you will encounter 13 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 26.1 miles (I 580 / Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.8 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.1 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
993 ft
-4 ft
Total Climb
1,594 ft
Total Descent
1,590 ft
Highest Point
993 ft
~13.5 mi in
Elevation Range
997 ft
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 1h 17m. Total distance: 63.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 29.7 miles on Arthur H. Breed Junior 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 26.1 miles (I 580 / Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.8 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.1 miles (I 580 / MacArthur Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (5 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.
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