Origin
Newark, CA
Late night in Newark on Saturday
Local time
3:51 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newark, CA to Oakland, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
24.9 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newark, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Newark, CA to Oakland, CA is 24.9 miles and takes about 31m via I 880, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused trip connecting two points within the Pacific Coast region of California. It's a short drive, ideal for a quick transit or a day trip extension. You'll primarily be on major freeways, so expect consistent traffic, especially during peak hours. The main roads are well-maintained and designed for efficient travel between these East Bay cities.
About the Cities
Starting in Newark, CA
Full guide →Newark is a small community in the East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area region of California. It is an enclave of the larger city of Fremont.
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 31m. Total distance: 24.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This drive is overwhelmingly a highway experience, with 88% of it on major freeways like I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 17 miles on I 880, offering a continuous, high-speed journey. Thornton Avenue provides a brief transition before rejoining the interstate. The profile is consistently highway-focused, meaning you'll be navigating multi-lane traffic with clear signage for efficient travel. Expect a dynamic flow of vehicles as you move between these urban centers.
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.
I 880 is the longest continuous segment at about 17 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Thornton Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 24.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Thornton Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Thornton Avenue
Turn left onto Thornton Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
6.8 mi into trip
|
~9m 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
23.8 mi into trip
|
~28m 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
6
24.3 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
12th Street
Turn left onto 12th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
24.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Harrison Street
Turn right onto Harrison Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 17 mi | 19m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 5 mi | 5m |
| Thornton Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Oak Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 12th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 14th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Harrison Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 17 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, CA and Oakland, CA.
1
Start on this road
120 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Thornton Avenue
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Thornton Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 880
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
17 mi
·
19 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 41A
Toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto Oak Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Oak Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto 12th Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
12th Street
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn right onto Harrison Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Harrison Street
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto 14th Street
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
·
14th Street
11
Arrive at destination
14th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.72 one way
$11.45 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.90 | $11.80 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.06 | $12.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.50 | $11.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Oakland, CA
Late night in Oakland on Saturday
Local time
3:51 AM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Clear
N 7 mph
0% chance
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
17 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
31m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Newark, CA to Oakland, CA covers 24.9 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 880, Nimitz Freeway, Thornton Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.5 miles from Newark, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.72 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 is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 24.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Thornton Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Newark, CA to Oakland, 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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