Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
8h 9m
Distance
428.4 mi
689 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$98
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fontana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Pacifica, CA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Fontana, CA to Pacifica, CA covers 428.4 miles and takes about 8h 9m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Westside Freeway, Foothill Freeway, US 101 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 182.5 miles on Westside Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $98.46 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
214.2 miles from Fontana, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 1m into the drive .
Pacifica is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Popular for its beaches, Pacifica has a mix of Bay Area hippies and blue-collar folks (especially in the fishing industry). It's the kind of place where you'll find a gun store next to a yoga studio.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
This is a 8h 9m highway drive covering 428.4 miles, with most of the trip on Westside Freeway and Foothill Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 182.5 miles on Westside Freeway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and Foothill Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 45 miles in near I 210 / Foothill Freeway.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 31 significant decision points across 428.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 45 miles (I 210 / Foothill Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 130.1 miles (I 5 / Westside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 420.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210 / Foothill Freeway toward I 210 West: Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Westside Freeway toward I 5 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 380 West: San Bruno
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CA 82: El Camino Real
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward CA 1 South: Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Fontana, CA and Pacifica, CA, road signs point toward Hollister and San Jose.
Hollister
San Jose
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Westside Freeway | 182.5 mi | 3h 15m |
| Foothill Freeway | 67.2 mi | 1h 17m |
| US 101 | 46.7 mi | 53m |
| CA 152 | 41.1 mi | 51m |
| I 5 Truck | 37.1 mi | 42m |
| Golden State Freeway | 22.3 mi | 25m |
| South Valley Freeway | 19.9 mi | 22m |
| Sierra Avenue | 3 mi | 4m |
Step-by-step road directions between Fontana, CA and Pacifica, CA.
Start on Merrill Avenue
Turn right onto Sierra Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto CA 210
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 210
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 5 Truck
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
Take the exit
Continue on CA 152; CA33
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 152
Take the exit onto CA 152
Merge onto US 101; CA 152
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
Take the exit
Merge onto I 380
Take the exit
Turn right onto CA 82
Turn left onto Sneath Lane
Turn right onto CA 35
Turn left onto Sharp Park Road
Turn slight right
Turn straight onto Francisco Boulevard
Take the ramp
Merge onto CA 1
Turn sharp left onto Reina del Mar Avenue
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 94 miles or 1h 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 214.2 miles or 4h 1m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 214.2 miles or 4h 1m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 55m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Pacifica, CA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Fontana, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Fontana, CA
Aim for roughly 214 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Pacifica, CA
Aim for roughly 214 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 214.2 mi from Fontana, CA · 4h 1m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
214 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Mendota, CANight 1
214 mi · about 4.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Mendota, CA after about 214 miles or 4.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 94 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 214.2 miles from Fontana, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Westside Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 182.5 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 214 miles or 4.1 hours on the road.
The final approach into Pacifica, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Pacifica, CA.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Pacifica, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$98.46 one way
$196.93 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $101.47 | $202.93 |
| premium | $6.18 | $104.18 | $208.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $94.59 | $189.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$98
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$228–$338
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 149.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $45 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 128.5 | 1 | $44.98 | $20.56 |
| Efficient EV | 107.1 | 1 | $37.48 | $17.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 171.4 | 2 | $59.98 | $27.42 |
Gas CO2
150 kg
EV CO2
50 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Fontana on Saturday
Local time
6:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Sunny
Destination
Morning in Pacifica on Saturday
Local time
6:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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