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Trip from Vallejo, CA to Sacramento, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 10m

Distance

58.3 mi

94 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 5m ★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Solano County, California, United States

Vallejo, CA

Wikimedia Commons

capital city of the U.S. state of California and seat of Sacramento County

Sacramento, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning to travel from Vallejo to Sacramento, you are looking at a 59.5-mile journey that typically takes about one hour. This route is perfectly suited for a quick day trip, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations. With a fuel budget of approximately $8, it is a very economical way to move between these two Pacific Coast locations. You will navigate primarily through local surface streets like Sacramento Street, Tennessee Street, and Admiral Callaghan Lane rather than relying on major interstates. It is a straightforward, practical connection that gets you from point A to point B without any necessary stops.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 46.8 mi 54m
Yolo Causeway 3.7 mi 4m
Capital City Freeway 3.3 mi 3m
Tennessee Street 1.6 mi 3m
Westside Freeway 0.6 mi <1m
Sacramento Street 0.4 mi <1m
H Street 0.3 mi <1m
J Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway — 46.8 mi, about 54m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Vallejo, CA and Sacramento, CA.

1

Start on Carolina Street

461 ft · 22 sec · Carolina Street
2

Turn right onto Sacramento Street

0.4 mi · 45 sec · Sacramento Street
3

Turn right onto Tennessee Street

1.6 mi · 3 min · Tennessee Street
4

Turn left onto Admiral Callaghan Lane

0.1 mi · 26 sec · Admiral Callaghan Lane
Use the straight lane.
5

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Toward I 80 East Use the straight lane.
6

Merge onto I 80

11 mi · 12 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

27 mi · 31 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

8.4 mi · 9 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on I 80

3.7 mi · 4 min · Yolo Causeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto US 50; I 80 Business

3.3 mi · 3 min · Capital City Freeway
Exit 82 Toward Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 13 sec
Exit 4A Toward I 5 North, I 5 South: Redding, Los Angeles Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Exit 4A Toward I 5 North: Redding Use the slight left lane.
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 14 sec
Exit 4A Toward I 5 North: Redding
14

Merge onto I 5

0.6 mi · 44 sec · Westside Freeway
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Exit 519B Toward J Street, Downtown Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Turn right onto J Street

0.2 mi · 25 sec · J Street
17

Turn left onto 5th Street

0.2 mi · 19 sec · 5th Street
Use the straight lane.
18

Turn right onto H Street

0.3 mi · 40 sec · H Street
19

Turn right onto 9th Street

490 ft · 15 sec · 9th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
20

Arrive at destination

9th Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Vacaville, CA, CA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Vacaville, CA

29 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

Suisun, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Vacaville, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.2 miles from Vallejo, 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 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.2 and 57.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
2.2 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the ramp toward I 80 East

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane. Toward I 80 East
9
52.8 mi into trip | ~1h 3m in | US 50; I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto US 50; I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway toward Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 82 Toward Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe
8
56.1 mi into trip | ~1h 6m in

Take the exit toward I 5 North, I 5 South: Redding, Los Angeles

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 4A Toward I 5 North, I 5 South: Redding, Los Angel...
9
56.3 mi into trip | ~1h 7m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 North: Redding

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Exit 4A Toward I 5 North: Redding
8
57.4 mi into trip | ~1h 8m in

Take the exit toward J Street, Downtown

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 J Street, Downtown

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$13.40 one way

$26.80 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $13.81 $27.62
premium $6.18 $14.18 $28.36
diesel $5.61 $12.87 $25.74

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$13

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.5 0 $6.12 $2.80
Efficient EV 14.6 0 $5.10 $2.33
EV Truck/SUV 23.3 0 $8.16 $3.73

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Vallejo, CA

Late night in Vallejo on Tuesday

Local time

1:07 AM

PDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Sacramento, CA

Late night in Sacramento on Tuesday

Local time

1:07 AM

PDT

Current temp

68°F

Sunny

NNW 13 to 18 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 10:43AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Medford OR

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 10:32AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

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

6 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 10m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous highway cruise, this route features a 0% highway share, requiring your full attention as you transition between local roads. You will find that there is no long-distance, uninterrupted stretch, as the longest segment on Sacramento Street is effectively 0 miles. The character of the road is defined by constant navigation through town infrastructure rather than high-speed transit. Prepare for a dynamic driving experience that demands more frequent focus than a standard freeway commute.

Only 7% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 46.8 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower 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 around 2.2 miles in.

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 58.3 miles you will encounter 17 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 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 52.8 miles (US 50; I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 56.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Vallejo, CA to Sacramento, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Lake Tahoe along the way.

Lake Tahoe

52.8 mi in | ~1h 3m | via US 50; I 80 Business

About the Cities

Starting in Vallejo, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1851

Vallejo is in Solano County in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.

Top landmarks

  • Mare Island Naval Shipyard — United States Navy shipyard located in Vallejo, California
  • Six Flags Discovery Kingdom — amusement park in California
  • USS LCS(L)(3)-102 — 1945 Landing Craft Support

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 10m. Total distance: 58.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 10m 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 46.8 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. 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 Sacramento, 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 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 52.8 miles (US 50; I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 56.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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