Origin
Fremont, CA
Morning in Fremont on Saturday
Local time
11:24 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fremont, CA to South San Francisco, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
34.6 mi
56 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 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Fremont, CA to South San Francisco, CA covers 34.6 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CA 92, Bayshore Freeway, Nimitz Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.9 miles on CA 92. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.95 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 92 | 12.9 mi | 14m |
| Bayshore Freeway | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| Mowry Avenue | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| I 880 | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| South Airport Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Airport Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 92
— 12.9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fremont, CA and South San Francisco, 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
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
6
Take the exit onto I 880
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
526 ft
·
6 sec
Exit 27
Toward CA 92 West, CA 92 East: San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Downtown, Jackson Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
Toward CA 92 West: San Mateo Bridge, San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Chabot College
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto CA 92
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
CA 92
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 92
528 ft
·
6 sec
·
CA 92
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 92
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
CA 92
12
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 13B
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto US 101
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 424
Toward South Airport Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn left onto South Airport Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
South Airport Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
16
Turn left onto South Airport Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
South Airport Boulevard
Use the left lane.
17
Continue on Airport Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
Airport Boulevard
18
Arrive at destination
Airport Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 8.1 and 33.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
10.6 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward CA 92 West, CA 92 East: San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Downtown, Jackson Street
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 27
Toward CA 92 West, CA 92 East: San Mateo, Half...
8
10.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 92 West: San Mateo Bridge, San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Chabot College
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward CA 92 West: San Mateo Bridge, San Mateo,...
7
24.1 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13B
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
7
33.6 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward South Airport Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 424
Toward South Airport Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.95 one way
$15.91 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.20 | $16.39 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.41 | $16.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.64 | $15.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 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 | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
| Efficient EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.84 | $2.21 |
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
South San Francisco, CA
Morning in South San Francisco on Saturday
Local time
11:24 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°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
1 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
42m 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?
34.6 mi in 42m, mostly highway — 12.9 mi of that is on CA 92.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.9 mi on CA 92.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 92 and Bayshore Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8.1 miles in near I 880.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 34.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.1 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Fremont, CA and South San Francisco, CA, road signs point toward Half Moon Bay, Downtown, San Mateo and Chabot College.
Half Moon Bay
10.6 mi in
|
~13m
Downtown
10.6 mi in
|
~13m
San Mateo
10.7 mi in
|
~14m
Chabot College
10.7 mi in
|
~14m
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
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 42m. Total distance: 34.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.9 miles on CA 92. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at South San Francisco, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 8.1 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park (5 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at South San Francisco, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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