Origin
Folsom, CA
Late night in Folsom on Saturday
Local time
3:26 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Folsom, CA to Carmichael, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
12.4 mi
20 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Folsom, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Carmichael, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Folsom, CA to Carmichael, CA is 12.4 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Fair Oaks Boulevard, Madison Avenue, and Sunrise Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, same-day trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, making it an easy local excursion. Given its brief distance and minimal highway use, this route is ideal for a spontaneous drive or when you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss. Expect a straightforward journey that keeps you on familiar roads.
About the Cities
Starting in Folsom, CA
Full guide →Folsom is a city of 82,000 people (2019) in Sacramento County in California. Folsom is home to Folsom Lake College, Folsom Dam, Folsom Prison and a historic district. Folsom is also home to the largest private employer in the Sacramento area, Intel.
Top landmarks
- • Folsom Depot — train station in Folsom, California
- • Murer House and Gardens — house in Folsom, California, United States
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 22m. Total distance: 12.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This drive is characterized by its frequent turns, offering a dynamic local experience rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, with 0% highway share. You'll navigate primarily on surface streets like Fair Oaks Boulevard, Madison Avenue, and Sunrise Boulevard. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 4.5 miles along Fair Oaks Boulevard. This route feels more like a connected series of neighborhood roads, requiring consistent attention to navigation and traffic signals throughout its 12.4 miles.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Fair Oaks Boulevard is the longest continuous segment at about 4.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Riley Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 22m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Riley Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (CR E2 / Sunrise Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (Fair Oaks Boulevard): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Riley Street
Turn right onto Riley Street
Navigation decision point
4
6.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CR E2 / Sunrise Boulevard
Turn left onto CR E2 / Sunrise Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / uturn lanes.
3
7.8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Fair Oaks Boulevard
Turn right onto Fair Oaks Boulevard
Navigation decision point
4
11 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Fair Oaks Boulevard
Turn left onto Fair Oaks Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
4
12.3 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Palm Drive
Turn left onto Palm Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Oaks Boulevard | 4.5 mi | 7m |
| Madison Avenue | 4.5 mi | 7m |
| Sunrise Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Greenback Lane | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Palm Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Riley Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Sutter Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Fair Oaks Boulevard
— 4.5 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Folsom, CA and Carmichael, CA.
1
Start on Sutter Street
123 ft
·
9 sec
·
Sutter Street
2
Turn right onto Riley Street
233 ft
·
7 sec
·
Riley Street
3
Continue on Greenback Lane
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Greenback Lane
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Continue on Madison Avenue
4.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Madison Avenue
Use the left / uturn lanes.
5
Turn left onto CR E2
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Sunrise Boulevard
Use the left / uturn lanes.
6
Turn right onto Fair Oaks Boulevard
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Fair Oaks Boulevard
7
Turn left onto Fair Oaks Boulevard
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Fair Oaks Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Turn left onto Palm Drive
290 ft
·
44 sec
·
Palm Drive
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on Palm Drive
139 ft
·
3 sec
·
Palm Drive
10
Arrive at destination
Palm Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.68 one way
$3.37 round trip
$3.45/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.85 | $1.88 | $3.76 |
| premium | $4.15 | $2.03 | $4.05 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $1.83 | $3.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.60 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5 | 0 | $1.74 | $0.79 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Carmichael, CA
Late night in Carmichael on Saturday
Local time
3:26 AM
PDT
Current temp
69°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
22 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
22m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Folsom, CA to Carmichael, CA covers 12.4 miles and takes about 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Fair Oaks Boulevard, Madison Avenue, Sunrise Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.2 miles from Folsom, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.68 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 22m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Riley Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (CR E2 / Sunrise Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (Fair Oaks Boulevard): Navigation decision point.
The route from Folsom, CA to Carmichael, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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