Origin
North Highlands, CA
Afternoon in North Highlands on Saturday
Local time
1:03 PM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Highlands, CA to Elk Grove, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
25.1 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 30m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Highlands, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Elk Grove, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from North Highlands, CA to Elk Grove, CA covers 25.1 miles and takes about 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Sacramento Freeway, Capital City Freeway, Elk Grove Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.4 miles on South Sacramento Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.77 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Sacramento Freeway | 11.4 mi | 13m |
| Capital City Freeway | 9 mi | 9m |
| Elk Grove Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
| Walerga Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Hillsdale Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Larchmont Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Don Julio Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Sacramento Freeway
— 11.4 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Highlands, CA and Elk Grove, CA.
1
Start on La Cienega Drive
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
La Cienega Drive
2
Turn left onto Don Julio Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Don Julio Boulevard
3
Turn right onto Larchmont Drive
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Larchmont Drive
4
Turn right onto Walerga Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Walerga Road
5
Turn right onto Hillsdale Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Hillsdale Boulevard
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto Madison Avenue
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Madison Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 80 West: Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 80
0.7 mi
·
45 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Capital City Freeway
Exit 95
Toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 Business
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Capital City Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto Capital City Freeway
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
·
Capital City Freeway
Toward CA 99 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on South Sacramento Freeway
11 mi
·
13 min
·
South Sacramento Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 286
Toward Elk Grove Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn left onto E12
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Elk Grove Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
15
Turn right onto Elk Grove Florin Road
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
Elk Grove Florin Road
16
Arrive at destination
Elk Grove Florin Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 23.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 80 West: Sacramento
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 80 West: Sacramento
8
3.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 95
Toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
6
8.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
12.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
Capital City Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto Capital City Freeway toward CA 99 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 99 South
7
23.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward Elk Grove Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 286
Toward Elk Grove Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.77 one way
$11.54 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.94 | $11.89 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.10 | $12.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.54 | $11.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.8 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 | $2.64 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.51 | $1.61 |
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
Elk Grove, CA
Afternoon in Elk Grove on Saturday
Local time
1:03 PM
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
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
32m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
25.1 mi in 32m, mostly highway — 11.4 mi of that is on South Sacramento Freeway.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.4 mi on South Sacramento Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South Sacramento Freeway and Capital City Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 25.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.5 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.4 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Elk Grove, CA
Full guide →Elk Grove is a city of 176,000 people (2020) in Sacramento County in California. Elk Grove has many wineries, wine cellars, and vineyards.
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 32m. Total distance: 25.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.4 miles on South Sacramento Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Elk Grove, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.5 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.4 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Elk Grove, CA before heading back.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Elk Grove, CA
More from North Highlands, CA
More trips to Elk Grove, CA
Explore more options from North Highlands, CA or browse trips ending in Elk Grove, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.