Trip from Fremont, CA to Emeryville, CA

Drive Time

38m

Distance

28.7 mi

46 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 35m ★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m

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

Downtown Emeryville, CA, CA

Emeryville, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

The drive from Fremont, CA to Emeryville, CA covers 28.7 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 880, Nimitz Freeway, Mowry Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.8 miles on I 880. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.65 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

14.4 miles from Fremont, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 18m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 38m highway drive covering 28.7 miles, with most of the trip on I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 17.8 miles on I 880.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 880 is the longest continuous segment at about 17.8 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

55 ft 11 ft

Total Climb

80 ft

Total Descent

110 ft

Highest Point

55 ft

Elevation Range

44 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 miles in near I 880 / Nimitz Freeway.

Route Complexity 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 10 significant decision points across 28.7 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 1.7 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.1 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles (I 980 / John B. Williams Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
1.7 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 880 / Nimitz Freeway

Merge onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
8.1 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 880

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
8
26 mi into trip | ~31m in | I 980 / John B. Williams Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 980 / John B. Williams Freeway toward I 980: Walnut Creek

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 42A Toward I 980: Walnut Creek
8
26.3 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward 17th Street, San Pablo Avenue

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 1B Toward 17th Street, San Pablo Avenue
5
28.6 mi into trip | ~37m in | Haven Street

Turn right onto Haven Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 880 17.8 mi 20m
Nimitz Freeway 6.4 mi 7m
Mowry Avenue 1.4 mi 3m
San Pablo Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
John B. Williams Freeway 0.4 mi <1m
40th Street 0.3 mi <1m
Castro Street 0.2 mi <1m
Haven Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 880 — 17.8 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Fremont, CA and Emeryville, CA.

1

Start on Mowry Avenue

109 ft · 4 sec · Mowry Avenue
2

Continue on Mowry Avenue

1.4 mi · 3 min · Mowry Avenue
Use the left lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
4

Merge onto I 880

6.4 mi · 7 min · Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

18 mi · 20 min · I 880
Use the slight left lane.
6

Keep slight right at fork onto I 980

0.4 mi · 31 sec · John B. Williams Freeway
Exit 42A Toward I 980: Walnut Creek Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Exit 1B Toward 17th Street, San Pablo Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn slight left onto Castro Street

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Castro Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
9

Turn left onto San Pablo Avenue

1.4 mi · 2 min · San Pablo Avenue
Use the left lane.
10

Turn left onto 40th Street

0.3 mi · 53 sec · 40th Street
Use the left lane.
11

Turn right onto Haven Street

476 ft · 28 sec · Haven Street
12

Turn left onto Park Avenue

145 ft · 6 sec · Park Avenue
13

Arrive at destination

Park Avenue

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 14.4 miles from Fremont, CA, or about 18m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 17.8 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 28.7 miles or 38m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 14.4 miles or 18m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 29m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Emeryville, CA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Fremont, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Fremont, CA

This is one driving day of about 28.7 miles and 38m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Fremont, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on I 880 for about 17.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 14.4 mi from Fremont, CA · 18m into the drive

Downtown San Francisco, CA, CA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

San Francisco, CA

14 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

Richmond, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 28.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Hayward, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 14.4 miles from Fremont, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Emeryville, CA

The final approach into Emeryville, 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 Emeryville, CA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.65 one way

$13.29 round trip

$5.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.07 $6.85 $13.71
premium $6.24 $7.05 $14.11
diesel $5.64 $6.38 $12.75

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$7

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$32–$57

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.6 0 $3.01 $1.38
Efficient EV 7.2 0 $2.51 $1.15
EV Truck/SUV 11.5 0 $4.02 $1.84

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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 data refreshed 7 hours ago

Origin

Fremont, CA

Afternoon in Fremont on Sunday

Local time

2:55 PM

PDT

Current temp

60°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 8 to 14 mph 77% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 6:50AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 6:49AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Destination

Emeryville, CA

Afternoon in Emeryville on Sunday

Local time

2:55 PM

PDT

Current temp

61°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 13 mph 83% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 6:50AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 12 at 6:49AM PDT until April 12 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

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.

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

1 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

38m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Fremont, CA to Emeryville, CA covers 28.7 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 880, Nimitz Freeway, Mowry Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.4 miles from Fremont, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.65 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 demanding drive. With 10 significant decision points across 28.7 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.1 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles (I 980 / John B. Williams Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Fremont, CA to Emeryville, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Was this route helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Return Trip

Emeryville, CA to Fremont, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

28.9 mi 38m

More trips to Emeryville, CA

Explore more options from Fremont, CA or browse trips ending in Emeryville, CA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.

Explore maps for Fremont, CA or Emeryville, CA on MapSof.net.