Origin
Woodside, CA
Evening in Woodside on Saturday
Local time
7:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Woodside, CA to San Francisco, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
30.7 mi
49 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Woodside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Woodside to San Francisco is 30.7 miles and takes about 41 minutes via Junipero Serra Freeway/Bayshore Freeway/James Lick Freeway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within California's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward transit between two points. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing ample time for activities at your destination. Consider this a practical way to get from the Peninsula into the heart of the city without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Junipero Serra Freeway | 14.6 mi | 16m |
| Bayshore Freeway | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| James Lick Freeway | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Cañada Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| Quentin L. Kopp Freeway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Central Freeway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Octavia Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Junipero Serra Freeway
— 14.6 mi, about 16m
Traffic on I-280
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 10 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~4,865 veh/hr typical · worst 5,624
Quietest
3 AM
~58 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
83.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 13 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Woodside, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on this road
50 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Cañada Lane
137 ft
·
6 sec
·
Cañada Lane
3
Continue on CA 84
195 ft
·
12 sec
·
Woodside Road
4
Turn slight right onto Cañada Road
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Cañada Road
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 280 North: San Francisco
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 280
15 mi
·
16 min
·
Junipero Serra Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 43B
Toward I 380 East: San Francisco International Airport
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 380
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Quentin L. Kopp Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 6B
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
10
Merge onto US 101
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on US 101
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
James Lick Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on US 101
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Freeway
Toward Civic Center, Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
16
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 2.9 and 19.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 280 North: San Francisco
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 280 North: San Francisco
5
3.1 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 280 / Junipero Serra Freeway
Merge onto I 280 / Junipero Serra Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
17.7 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward I 380 East: San Francisco International Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 43B
Toward I 380 East: San Francisco International...
5
19.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 6B
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
5
19.9 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Merge onto US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.96 one way
$13.92 round trip
$5.76/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $7.20 | $14.40 |
| premium | $6.09 | $7.36 | $14.73 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $6.53 | $13.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.30 | $1.96 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Evening in San Francisco on Saturday
Local time
7:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
74°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
4 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
41m 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 route is predominantly highway driving, with 84% of the 30.7 miles on freeways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 14.6 miles on the Junipero Serra Freeway before transitioning to other major arteries. Expect dense traffic and frequent exits as you approach and enter San Francisco. The latter portion of the drive will likely involve merging with city traffic.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.6 mi on Junipero Serra Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Junipero Serra Freeway and Bayshore Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 30.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (I 280 / Junipero Serra Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Woodside, CA to San Francisco, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Civic Center along the way.
Civic Center
29.1 mi in
|
~38m
|
via US 101
About the Cities
Starting in Woodside, CA
Full guide →Woodside is a small town on the San Francisco Peninsula in California. It is considered one of the wealthiest towns in the United States, and is home to many celebrities and executives. Despite its small size, Woodside features many local attractions.
Top landmarks
- • Woodside Store — Museum of a store built in 1854 in Woodside, California
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 41m. Total distance: 30.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.6 miles on Junipero Serra 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 2.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (I 280 / Junipero Serra Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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