Origin
Fremont, CA
Morning in Fremont on Saturday
Local time
11:56 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fremont, CA to San Rafael, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 2m
Distance
48.4 mi
78 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Rafael, CA
David McElwee
Trip Overview
The drive from Fremont, CA to San Rafael, CA covers 48.4 miles and takes about 1h 2m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Mowry Avenue, I 880 North, Nimitz Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.12 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mowry Avenue | — | — |
| I 880 North | — | — |
| Nimitz Freeway | — | — |
| Eastshore Freeway | — | — |
| John T | — | — |
| US 101 North | — | — |
| Redwood Highway | — | — |
| Central San Rafael | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Mowry Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fremont, CA and San Rafael, CA.
1
Start on Mowry Avenue
108 ft
·
5 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
2
Continue on Mowry Avenue
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Mowry Avenue
3
Take the ramp straight toward I 880 North: Oakland
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
I 880 North: Oakland
4
Merge slight left onto Nimitz Freeway
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
5
Keep slight left
18 mi
·
20 min
6
Keep slight left to continue on Nimitz Freeway
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
7
Continue on Nimitz Freeway
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
8
Continue on Eastshore Freeway
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
9
Keep slight right to continue on John T. Knox Freeway
13 mi
·
17 min
·
John T. Knox Freeway
10
Keep slight left to continue on US 101 North: San Rafeal
0.7 mi
·
54 sec
·
US 101 North: San Rafeal
11
Merge slight left onto Redwood Highway
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Redwood Highway
12
Take the exit slight right toward Central San Rafael
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Central San Rafael
13
Continue on Irwin Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Irwin Street
14
Turn left onto Fourth Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Fourth Street
15
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from Fremont, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.12 one way
$22.25 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.46 | $22.93 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.77 | $23.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.69 | $21.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.08 | $2.32 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.78 | $3.10 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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 Rafael, CA
Morning in San Rafael on Saturday
Local time
11:56 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°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
8 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 2m 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?
48.4 mi in 1h 2m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: Mowry Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Fremont, CA to San Rafael, CA is easy. At 1h 2m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fremont, CA to San Rafael, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Starting in Fremont, CA
Full guide →Founded 1956
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.
Top landmarks
- • Mission San José — 18th-century Spanish mission in Fremont, California
- • Ardenwood Historic Farm — human settlement in California, United States of America
- • Niles Depot Museum — railway museum in Niles, California
Arriving in San Rafael, CA
Full guide →Historically home to one of California's original Spanish missions, San Rafael is now a mid-sized Bay Area commuter town with beautiful hills, peaceful nature, interesting architecture, and a bustling downtown area centered around 4th Street. San Rafael is the cultural and political center of Marin County, and offers its own set of attractions as well as easy access to other parts of the county.
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 1h 2m. Total distance: 48.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m 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
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fremont, CA to San Rafael, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Rafael, CA before heading back.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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