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Trip from Mission Canyon, CA to Sacramento, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

6h 29m

Distance

385.6 mi

621 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$89

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 37 min
4 AM
6h 17m ★
6 AM
6h 30m
8 AM
6h 54m
10 AM
6h 38m
12 PM
6h 36m
3 PM
6h 39m
5 PM
6h 53m
8 PM
6h 22m

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

Downtown Mission Canyon, CA, CA

Mission Canyon, CA

Get Lost Mike

capital city of the U.S. state of California and seat of Sacramento County

Sacramento, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Mission Canyon, CA to Sacramento, CA covers 385.6 miles and takes about 6h 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Cheltenham Road, Tye Road, Foothill Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $88.63 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

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

Midpoint

192.8 miles from Mission Canyon, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 14m into the drive .

About the Cities

Arriving in Sacramento, CA

Full guide →

Sacramento is the state capital of California in the United States. It is the regional center for the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, which dominates much of the surrounding Sacramento Valley and stretches into parts of Gold Country. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, settled between the confluences of the Sacramento and American rivers. The city has been the site of many important historic events that have shaped California and U.S. history, most notably the California Gold Rush and location of the original terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Much of this historical legacy has been preserved, especially in the historic Old Sacramento district, where buildings and railroads from that era continue to attract visitors. However, Sacramento is not a city that is stuck in the past. As the capital of the most populous U.S.

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 6h 29m. Total distance: 385.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

6h 29m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 6h 29m drive with frequent turns across 385.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 31 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Cheltenham Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 29m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Mission Canyon, CA to Sacramento, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Cheltenham Road
Tye Road
Foothill Road
CA 154
Chumash Highway
US 101 North
CA 46 East
Skyline Boulevard

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Cheltenham Road — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Mission Canyon, CA and Sacramento, CA.

1

Start on Dorking Place

262 ft · 15 sec · Dorking Place
2

Turn left onto Cheltenham Road

0.6 mi · 2 min · Cheltenham Road
3

Continue on Cheltenham Road

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Cheltenham Road
4

Turn right onto Tye Road

312 ft · 18 sec · Tye Road
5

Turn right onto Foothill Road

2.7 mi · 5 min · Foothill Road
6

Turn right onto CA 154: Cachuma Lake, Santa Ynez

0.3 mi · 55 sec · CA 154: Cachuma Lake, Santa Ynez
7

Turn straight onto Chumash Highway

23 mi · 31 min · Chumash Highway
8

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Chumash Highway

115 ft · 2 sec · Chumash Highway
9

Exit the roundabout onto Chumash Highway

2.2 mi · 3 min · Chumash Highway
10

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Chumash Highway

141 ft · 2 sec · Chumash Highway
11

Exit the roundabout onto Chumash Highway

6.3 mi · 9 min · Chumash Highway
12

Take the ramp right toward US 101 North

0.2 mi · 31 sec · US 101 North
13

Merge slight left

85 mi · 1 hr 38 min
14

Take the exit slight right toward CA 46 East: Fresno, Bakersfield

0.2 mi · 28 sec · CA 46 East: Fresno, Bakersfield
15

Turn right

24 mi · 28 min
16

Merge slight left

1.4 mi · 1 min
17

Turn slight right

489 ft · 6 sec
18

Keep slight right

19 mi · 26 min
19

Turn left

9.3 mi · 12 min
20

Turn right onto Skyline Boulevard

5.6 mi · 8 min · Skyline Boulevard
21

Continue on South Lassen Avenue

0.5 mi · 52 sec · South Lassen Avenue
22

Take the ramp left toward I 5 North

0.2 mi · 25 sec · I 5 North
23

Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway

126 mi · 2 hr 15 min · Westside Freeway
24

Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway

26 mi · 27 min · Westside Freeway
25

Keep left to continue on Westside Freeway

48 mi · 52 min · Westside Freeway
26

Take the exit slight right toward J Street, Downtown

0.2 mi · 34 sec · J Street, Downtown
27

Turn right onto J Street

0.2 mi · 25 sec · J Street
28

Turn left onto 5th Street

0.2 mi · 19 sec · 5th Street
29

Turn right onto H Street

0.3 mi · 40 sec · H Street
30

Turn right onto 9th Street

489 ft · 15 sec · 9th Street
31

Arrive at your destination

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.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 192.8 miles from Mission Canyon, CA, or about 3h 14m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 85 miles or 1h 25m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 192.8 miles or 3h 14m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 5h 28m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Mission Canyon, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Mission Canyon, CA

This is one driving day of about 385.6 miles and 6h 29m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 85 miles from Mission Canyon, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 192.8 mi from Mission Canyon, CA · 3h 14m into the drive

city of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Pismo Beach, CA

193 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

Bakersfield, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 85 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Pismo Beach, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 192.8 miles from Mission Canyon, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Sacramento, CA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$88.63 one way

$177.25 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 135 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $91.33 $182.66
premium $6.18 $93.77 $187.55
diesel $5.61 $85.14 $170.27

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$89

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$114–$139

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 134.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $40 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 115.7 1 $40.49 $18.51
Efficient EV 96.4 1 $33.74 $15.42
EV Truck/SUV 154.2 1 $53.98 $24.68

Gas CO2

135 kg

EV CO2

45 kg (67% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Mission Canyon, CA

Evening in Mission Canyon on Friday

Local time

7:59 PM

PDT

Current temp

69°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Sacramento, CA

Evening in Sacramento on Friday

Local time

7:59 PM

PDT

Current temp

68°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.

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

6h 29m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Mission Canyon, CA to Sacramento, CA covers 385.6 miles and takes about 6h 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Cheltenham Road, Tye Road, Foothill Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 192.8 miles from Mission Canyon, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $88.63 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 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 29m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Mission Canyon, CA to Sacramento, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Mission Canyon, CA to Sacramento, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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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