Origin
Maxwell, CA
Late night in Maxwell on Friday
Local time
2:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Maxwell, CA to Sacramento, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
67.7 mi
109 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$16
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 27m
8 PM
1h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Maxwell, CA
Dominik Gryzbon
Sacramento, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Maxwell, CA to Sacramento, CA covers 67.7 miles and takes about 1h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Westside Freeway, Maxwell Colusa Road, H Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 66 miles on Westside Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.56 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 67.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 15m highway drive covering 67.7 miles, with most of the trip on Westside Freeway and Maxwell Colusa Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 66 miles on Westside Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 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 66 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and Maxwell Colusa Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 33 miles in near I 5 / Westside Freeway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 67.7 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 33 miles (I 5 / Westside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.7 miles (I 5 / Westside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 66.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
33 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
I 5 / Westside Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Westside Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
48.7 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
I 5 / Westside Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Westside Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
66.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward Downtown, J 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 519B
Toward Downtown, J Street
7
67.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
5th Street
Turn left onto 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
67.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
9th Street
Turn right onto 9th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Westside Freeway | 66 mi | 1h 11m |
| Maxwell Colusa Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| H Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| J Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 5th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 9th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Westside Freeway
— 66 mi, about 1h 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Maxwell, CA and Sacramento, CA.
1
Start on Maxwell Colusa Road
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
Maxwell Colusa Road
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
3
Merge onto I 5
32 mi
·
34 min
·
Westside Freeway
4
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
16 mi
·
16 min
·
Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 519B
Toward Downtown, J Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on J Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
J Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto 5th Street
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
5th Street
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn right onto H Street
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
H Street
10
Turn right onto 9th Street
490 ft
·
15 sec
·
9th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Arrive at destination
9th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 33.9 mi from Maxwell, CA · 36m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 33.9 miles from Maxwell, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Westside Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 66 miles.
Arriving in Sacramento, CA
The final approach into Sacramento, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.56 one way
$31.12 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $16.03 | $32.07 |
| premium | $6.18 | $16.46 | $32.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.95 | $29.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$16
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.3 | 0 | $7.11 | $3.25 |
| Efficient EV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.92 | $2.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.1 | 0 | $9.48 | $4.33 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Sacramento, CA
Late night in Sacramento on Friday
Local time
2:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°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 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 15m 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 Maxwell, CA to Sacramento, CA covers 67.7 miles and takes about 1h 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Westside Freeway, Maxwell Colusa Road, H Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 33.9 miles from Maxwell, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.56 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 67.7 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 33 miles (I 5 / Westside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.7 miles (I 5 / Westside Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 66.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Maxwell, CA to Sacramento, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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