Origin
North Highlands, CA
Afternoon in North Highlands on Saturday
Local time
12:41 PM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Highlands, CA to Fremont, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 7m
Distance
116.3 mi
187 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$27
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 59m
★
6 AM
2h 8m
8 AM
2h 26m
10 AM
2h 14m
12 PM
2h 12m
3 PM
2h 15m
5 PM
2h 25m
8 PM
2h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Highlands, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from North Highlands, CA to Fremont, CA covers 116.3 miles and takes about 2h 7m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Don Julio Boulevard, Watt Avenue, I 80 West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $26.73 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
58.2 miles from North Highlands, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 3m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Don Julio Boulevard | — | — |
| Watt Avenue | — | — |
| I 80 West | — | — |
| North Sacramento Beltline Freeway | — | — |
| Yolo Causeway | — | — |
| Dwight D | — | — |
| I 680 | — | — |
| Luther E Gibson Freeway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Don Julio Boulevard
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Highlands, CA and Fremont, CA.
1
Start on La Cienega Drive
0.2 mi
·
47 sec
·
La Cienega Drive
2
Turn right onto Don Julio Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Don Julio Boulevard
3
Turn left onto Watt Avenue
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Watt Avenue
4
Take the ramp slight right toward I 80 West: San Francisco
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 80 West: San Francisco
5
Merge slight left onto North Sacramento Beltline Freeway
12 mi
·
13 min
·
North Sacramento Beltline Freeway
6
Continue on Yolo Causeway
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Yolo Causeway
7
Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
37 mi
·
42 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
8
Take the exit slight right toward I 680: Benicia, San Jose
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 680: Benicia, San Jose
9
Continue on Luther E Gibson Freeway
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Luther E Gibson Freeway
10
Continue on Benicia-Martinez Bridge
8.0 mi
·
9 min
·
Benicia-Martinez Bridge
11
Keep slight right to continue on Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
12
Continue on Donald D Doyle Highway
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
13
Keep slight right to continue on Donald D Doyle Highway
28 mi
·
32 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
14
Take the exit slight right toward Washington Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Washington Boulevard
15
Turn right onto Washington Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington Boulevard
16
Continue on Fremont Boulevard
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Fremont Boulevard
17
Turn left onto Mowry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
18
Continue on Mowry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
19
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 58.2 miles from North Highlands, CA, or about 1h 3m 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 26 miles or 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 58.2 miles or 1h 3m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fremont, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving North Highlands, 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 North Highlands, CA
This is one driving day of about 116.3 miles and 2h 7m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 26 miles from North Highlands, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
58 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 26 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 58.2 miles from North Highlands, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$26.73 one way
$53.46 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
41 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $27.55 | $55.09 |
| premium | $6.18 | $28.28 | $56.57 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $25.68 | $51.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$27
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$52–$77
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 40.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 34.9 | 0 | $12.21 | $5.58 |
| Efficient EV | 29.1 | 0 | $10.18 | $4.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 46.5 | 0 | $16.28 | $7.44 |
Gas CO2
41 kg
EV CO2
14 kg (66% 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
Fremont, CA
Afternoon in Fremont on Saturday
Local time
12:41 PM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
61°F
Martinez, CA
58 mi in
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
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
2h 7m 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?
116.3 mi in 2h 7m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: Don Julio Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from North Highlands, CA to Fremont, CA is easy. At 2h 7m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from North Highlands, CA to Fremont, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Arriving in Fremont, CA
Full guide →Founded 1956
Fremont is a suburban city in the southern part of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area by population. Fremont is in the southern part of Alameda County, California, between Union City to the north, Sunol and the hills to the east, Milpitas and Santa Clara County to the south, and the San Francisco Bay to the west. The city of Newark, near the edge of the Bay, is surrounded by the city of Fremont. Fremont industry is not particularly large relative to other parts of the Bay Area, but neither is it a bedroom community. Many people in Fremont work locally in the electronics and high-tech industry, while many others commute to Silicon Valley or San Francisco locations for work.
Top landmarks
- • Mission San José — 18th-century Spanish mission in Fremont, California
- • Ardenwood Historic Farm — human settlement in California, United States of America
- • Niles Depot Museum — railway museum in Niles, California
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 2h 7m. Total distance: 116.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from North Highlands, CA to Fremont, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fremont, 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.
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