Origin
Fremont, CA
Evening in Fremont on Friday
Local time
5:37 PM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fremont, CA to Albany, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
34.2 mi
55 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Albany, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Fremont, CA to Albany, CA covers 34.2 miles and takes about 43m 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, Eastshore Freeway 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 $7.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Starting in Fremont, CA
Full guide →Fremont is a suburban city in the southern part of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area by population. Fremont is in the southern part of Alameda County, California, between Union City to the north, Sunol and the hills to the east, Milpitas and Santa Clara County to the south, and the San Francisco Bay to the west. The city of Newark, near the edge of the Bay, is surrounded by the city of Fremont. Fremont industry is not particularly large relative to other parts of the Bay Area, but neither is it a bedroom community. Many people in Fremont work locally in the electronics and high-tech industry, while many others commute to Silicon Valley or San Francisco locations for work.
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 43m. Total distance: 34.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 43m highway drive covering 34.2 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.
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.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 34.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
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 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese 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.
6
26 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
33.3 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward Buchanan Street, Albany
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 13A
Toward Buchanan Street, Albany
6
33.6 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
Buchanan Street
Turn right onto Buchanan Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
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 Fremont, CA to Albany, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Sacramento along the way.
Sacramento
28.2 mi in
|
~34m
|
via I 880
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 17.8 mi | 20m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 10.6 mi | 13m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 3.2 mi | 3m |
| Mowry Avenue | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Buchanan Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Marin Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| San Pablo Avenue | <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 Albany, 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 left at fork onto I 880
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 880
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Exit 46B
Toward I 80 East, I 580 West: San Rafael, Sacramento
8
Continue on I 80; I 580
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 13A
Toward Buchanan Street, Albany
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto Buchanan Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Buchanan Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on Marin Avenue
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Marin Avenue
12
Turn left onto CA 123
98 ft
·
13 sec
·
San Pablo Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
CA 123
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.86 one way
$15.72 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.10 | $16.20 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.32 | $16.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.55 | $15.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.59 | $1.64 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $2.99 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.79 | $2.19 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% 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
Albany, CA
Evening in Albany on Friday
Local time
5:37 PM
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
2 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
43m 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 Fremont, CA to Albany, CA covers 34.2 miles and takes about 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 880, Nimitz Freeway, Eastshore Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.1 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 $7.86 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 short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 34.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
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 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Fremont, CA to Albany, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Sacramento along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Muir Woods National Monument. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Albany, CA
More trips to Albany, CA
Explore more options from Fremont, CA or browse trips ending in Albany, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.