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Trip from North Fair Oaks, CA to 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

40m

Distance

29.1 mi

47 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m

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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Downtown North Fair Oaks, CA, CA

North Fair Oaks, CA

Stephen Leonardi

consolidated city and county in California, United States

San Francisco, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from North Fair Oaks, CA to San Francisco, CA covers 29.1 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Bayshore Freeway, James Lick Freeway, Middlefield Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.3 miles on Bayshore Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.69 one way before food or hotel costs.

About the Cities

Arriving in San Francisco, CA

Full guide →

The centerpiece of the Bay Area, San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the world, and with good reason. The cultural center of northern California, San Francisco is renowned for its mixture of scenic beauty and unique culture that makes it one of the most vibrant and desirable cities in the nation, if not the world. Sandwiched between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on a small square of land seven miles (11 km) on each side, San Francisco offers a wealth of treasures for the visitor, from the windswept and often foggy bay to the steep hills lined with Victorian homes that overlook the spectacular scenery of the city.

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 40m. Total distance: 29.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

40m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 40m highway drive covering 29.1 miles, with most of the trip on Bayshore Freeway and James Lick Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 20.3 miles on Bayshore Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Bayshore Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 20.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bayshore Freeway and James Lick Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 miles in near CA 84 / Woodside Road.

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 29.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles (CA 84 / Woodside Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (US 101 / Bayshore Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

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

5
1.7 mi into trip | ~5m in | CA 84 / Woodside Road

Turn right onto CA 84 / Woodside Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
2.4 mi into trip | ~6m 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 / right lanes. Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
5
3 mi into trip | ~7m in | US 101 / Bayshore Freeway

Merge onto US 101 / Bayshore Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
28.3 mi into trip | ~38m in | Octavia Boulevard

Continue onto Octavia Boulevard toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 434B Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
5
28.8 mi into trip | ~39m in | Market Street

Turn right onto Market Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from North Fair Oaks, CA to San Francisco, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Civic Center along the way.

Civic Center

27.5 mi in | ~37m | via US 101

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Bayshore Freeway 20.3 mi 23m
James Lick Freeway 4.2 mi 6m
Middlefield Road 1.3 mi 3m
Central Freeway 0.8 mi 1m
Woodside Road 0.7 mi 1m
Octavia Boulevard 0.5 mi <1m
Encina Avenue 0.3 mi 1m
Market Street 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Bayshore Freeway — 20.3 mi, about 23m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between North Fair Oaks, CA and San Francisco, CA.

1

Start on this road

76 ft · 8 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto Encina Avenue

0.3 mi · 1 min · Encina Avenue
3

At end of road, turn right onto Middlefield Road

1.3 mi · 3 min · Middlefield Road
4

Turn right onto CA 84

0.7 mi · 1 min · Woodside Road
Use the right lane.
5

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Merge onto US 101

20 mi · 23 min · Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on US 101

4.2 mi · 6 min · James Lick Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on US 101

0.8 mi · 1 min · Central Freeway
Toward Civic Center, Golden Gate Bridge Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on Octavia Boulevard

0.5 mi · 42 sec · Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn right onto Market Street

0.1 mi · 31 sec · Market Street
Use the right lane.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Market Street
12

Arrive at destination

Market Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.69 one way

$13.38 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $6.89 $13.78
premium $6.18 $7.08 $14.15
diesel $5.61 $6.42 $12.85

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.7 0 $3.06 $1.40
Efficient EV 7.3 0 $2.55 $1.16
EV Truck/SUV 11.6 0 $4.07 $1.86

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

North Fair Oaks, CA

Evening in North Fair Oaks on Friday

Local time

6:07 PM

PDT

Current temp

47°F

Clear

NNW 2 to 8 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 9:49PM PDT until April 17 at 2:00AM PDT by NWS San Diego CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 9:49PM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS San Diego CA

Destination

San Francisco, CA

Evening in San Francisco on Friday

Local time

6:07 PM

PDT

Current temp

51°F

Clear

NNW 9 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 9:49PM PDT until April 17 at 2:00AM PDT by NWS San Diego CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 9:49PM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS San Diego CA

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

4 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

40m 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 North Fair Oaks, CA to San Francisco, CA covers 29.1 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Bayshore Freeway, James Lick Freeway, Middlefield Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 14.5 miles from North Fair Oaks, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.69 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 29.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles (CA 84 / Woodside Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (US 101 / Bayshore Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from North Fair Oaks, CA to San Francisco, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Civic Center along the way.

Yes. Nearby national parks include San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.

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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