Trip from Imperial, CA to Oakland, CA

Drive Time

10h 45m

Distance

576.2 mi

927 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$133

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 29 min

4 AM

10h 36m ★

6 AM

10h 45m

8 AM

11h 5m

10 AM

10h 52m

12 PM

10h 50m

3 PM

10h 53m

5 PM

11h 4m

8 PM

10h 39m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Oakland, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

The drive from Imperial, CA to Oakland, CA covers 576.2 miles and takes about 10h 45m 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, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 225.6 miles on Westside Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $133.43 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

3 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

288.1 miles from Imperial, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 30m into the drive .

Drive Character

At 576.2 miles and 10h 45m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Westside Freeway and Foothill Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 38 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Westside Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 225.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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 181.9 miles in.

Route Complexity 9/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 31 significant decision points across 576.2 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 181.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 205.2 miles (I 210 / Foothill Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 290.3 miles (I 5 / Westside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 31 key points

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

181.9 mi into trip | ~3h 27m in

Keep slight right at fork toward CA 57 North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward CA 57 North

205.2 mi into trip | ~3h 55m in | I 210 / Foothill Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 210 / Foothill Freeway toward I 210 West: Sacramento

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 26A Toward I 210 West: Sacramento

290.3 mi into trip | ~5h 33m in | I 5 / Westside Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Westside Freeway toward I 5 North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 5 North

562.4 mi into trip | ~10h 27m in | I 238 / Castro Valley Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 238 / Castro Valley Freeway toward I 238

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 34 Toward I 238

575 mi into trip | ~10h 41m in

Take the exit toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive

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 41A Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive

Towns Along This Route

On the drive from Imperial, CA to Oakland, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Francisco along the way.

San Francisco

515.9 mi in | ~9h 35m | via I 580

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Westside Freeway	225.6 mi	4h 1m
Foothill Freeway	43.9 mi	50m
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway	39.9 mi	43m
West Main Street	37.6 mi	44m
I 5 Truck	37.1 mi	42m
Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway	32.6 mi	34m
CA 86	32.5 mi	37m
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway	29.6 mi	34m

Longest stretch: Westside Freeway — 225.6 mi, about 4h 1m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Imperial, CA and Oakland, CA.

Start on S28

103 ft · 4 sec · East Barioni Boulevard

Turn left onto CA 86

9.4 mi · 11 min · North Imperial Avenue

Use the straight lane.

Continue on CA 86

0.4 mi · 33 sec · South 1st Street

Turn left onto CA 86

38 mi · 44 min · West Main Street

Use the left lane.

Continue on CA 86

32 mi · 37 min · CA 86

Use the straight lane.

Merge onto I 10

33 mi · 34 min · Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 10

40 mi · 43 min · Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 10

14 mi · 15 min · San Bernardino Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 EXPR

9.3 mi · 9 min · I-10 Metro ExpressLanes

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 10

1.2 mi · 1 min · San Bernardino Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 10

0.9 mi · 1 min · San Bernardino Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 10

1.3 mi · 1 min · San Bernardino Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 10

1.9 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 10

0.8 mi · 55 sec · San Bernardino Freeway

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec

Toward CA 57: Santa Ana Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 55 sec

Toward CA 57 North Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Continue on CA 57

3.4 mi · 3 min · CA 57

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

1.1 mi · 2 min

Exit 25C Toward I 210 West: Pasadena

Merge onto I 210

18 mi · 21 min · Foothill Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 210

26 mi · 29 min · Foothill Freeway

Exit 26A Toward I 210 West: Sacramento Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 9 sec

Use the slight right lane.

Merge onto I 5 Truck

1.0 mi · 1 min · I 5 Truck

Exit 161A

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck

36 mi · 41 min · I 5 Truck

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5

22 mi · 25 min · Golden State Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 5

226 mi · 4 hr 1 min · Westside Freeway

Toward I 5 North Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 580

16 mi · 17 min · William Elton Brown Freeway

Toward I 580 West: Tracy, San Francisco

Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 Bypass

1.1 mi · 1 min · William Elton Brown Freeway

Merge onto I 580

18 mi · 20 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 580

12 mi · 13 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 238

2.4 mi · 2 min · Castro Valley Freeway

Exit 34 Toward I 238 Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 52 sec

Toward I 880 North Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 880

9.8 mi · 11 min · Nimitz Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 32 sec

Exit 41A Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Turn right onto Oak Street

0.3 mi · 49 sec · Oak Street

Use the straight / right lanes.

Turn left onto 12th Street

0.3 mi · 45 sec · 12th Street

Use the straight lane.

Turn right onto Harrison Street

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Harrison Street

Use the right lane.

Turn left onto 14th Street

0.2 mi · 48 sec · 14th Street

Arrive at destination

14th Street

Trip Plan

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.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.

Plan roughly 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 288.1 miles from Imperial, CA, or about 5h 30m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 225.6 miles.

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 127 miles or 2h 25m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 288.1 miles or 5h 30m 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 288.1 miles or 5h 30m

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 9h 35m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Imperial, 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 Imperial, CA

Aim for roughly 288 miles and 5.4 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Oakland, CA

Aim for roughly 288 miles and 5.4 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 127 miles from Imperial, CA.

This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.

Plan about 3 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on Westside Freeway for about 225.6 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 288.1 mi from Imperial, CA · 5h 30m into the drive

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

Anaheim, CA

190 mi into the route

Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch

This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

Bakersfield, CA

380 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 Bakersfield, CA

Popular next leg

Bakersfield, CA to Oakland, CA

277.8 mi · 4h 23m

Overnight Options

Night 1

Santa Clarita, CA

288 mi · about 5.4h in

A practical overnight split lands near Santa Clarita, CA after about 288 miles or 5.4 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Moreno Valley, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 127 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bakersfield, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 288.1 miles from Imperial, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Westside Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 225.6 miles.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 288 miles or 5.4 hours on the road.

Arriving in Oakland, CA

The final approach into Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Oakland, 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.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

National Historical Park

Established in 1988, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park celebrates America’s maritime heritage on the Pacific Coast. Our 50-acre park has grown around Aquatic Park Cove, a protected area...

8 mi from route ~21 min detour Free near mile 576.2

Park Closure: Hyde Street Pier Closure

Caution: Sick Birds and Wildlife, H5N1

View on nps.gov

Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park

National Historical Park

Celebrate and honor the contributions and sacrifices of American civilians on the WWII home front. Discover how diverse communities lived, worked, and interacted. Many faces, many stories, many truths...

9 mi from route ~22 min detour Free near mile 576.2

View on nps.gov

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area

Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species. Go for a hike, enjoy a vista, have a picnic or learn about the centuries of overlapping history f...

18 mi from route ~46 min detour Free near mile 576.2

View on nps.gov

Muir Woods National Monument

National Monument

Walk among old growth coast redwoods, cooling their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lifting their crowns to reach the sun and fog. Federally protected as a National Monument since 1908,...

18 mi from route ~45 min detour $15 near mile 576.2

View on nps.gov

Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial

National Memorial

On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion jolted the San Francisco East Bay area, shattering windows and lighting up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were killed instantly when two s...

22 mi from route ~55 min detour Free near mile 576.2

View on nps.gov

Joshua Tree National Park

National Park

Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds...

24 mi from route ~61 min detour $30 near mile 79.5

View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$133.43 one way

$266.87 round trip

$5.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 202 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$6.07	$137.61	$275.21
premium	$6.24	$141.62	$283.25
diesel	$5.64	$128.01	$256.02

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$133

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$263–$373

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 201.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $61 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	172.9	2	$60.50	$27.66
Efficient EV	144.1	1	$50.42	$23.05
EV Truck/SUV	230.5	2	$80.67	$36.88

Gas CO2

202 kg

EV CO2

67 kg (67% less)

Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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 3 days ago

Origin

Imperial, CA

Morning in Imperial on Monday

Local time

6:41 AM

PDT

Current temp

60°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Oakland, CA

Morning in Oakland on Monday

Local time

6:41 AM

PDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

14 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

10h 45m on the road

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Imperial, CA to Oakland, CA covers 576.2 miles and takes about 10h 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Westside Freeway, Foothill Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.

Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 288 miles on day one.

The midpoint is about 288.1 miles from Imperial, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $133.43 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

Plan about 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

On the drive from Imperial, CA to Oakland, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Francisco along the way.

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Trip from Imperial, CA to Oakland, CA

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Drive Character

How Hard Is This Drive?

Critical Maneuvers

Towns Along This Route

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Overnight Options

Pacing Suggestions

Arriving in Oakland, CA

National Parks Near This Route

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Muir Woods National Monument

Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial

Joshua Tree National Park

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Imperial, CA

Oakland, CA

Same local time

14 degrees cooler at arrival

10h 45m on the road

Frequently Asked Questions

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