Origin
Oakland, CA
Night in Oakland on Thursday
Local time
9:12 PM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oakland, CA to Kensington, CA
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
20m
Distance
11.6 mi
19 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Kensington, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
The drive from Oakland, CA to Kensington, CA covers 11.6 miles and takes about 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Eastshore Freeway, MacArthur Freeway, Moeser Lane for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 4.3 miles on Eastshore Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.67 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 11.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Oakland, CA to Kensington, CA covers 11.6 miles and takes about 20m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Eastshore Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 4.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 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 12 decision points packed into just 11.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.1 miles (I 80 / Eastshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward I 580: San Francisco, Hayward
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 580: San Francisco, Hayward
8
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 580 West: San Francisco, MacArthur Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 580 West: San Francisco, MacArthur Fre...
8
7.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 80 / Eastshore Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 / Eastshore Freeway toward I 80 East: Vallejo, Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 80 East: Vallejo, Sacramento
8
8.1 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward Central Avenue, El Cerrito
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 14A
Toward Central Avenue, El Cerrito
6
8.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Central Avenue
Turn right onto Central Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Oakland, CA and Kensington, CA, road signs point toward San Francisco, Hayward, Sacramento and El Cerrito.
San Francisco
0.6 mi in
|
~1m
Hayward
0.6 mi in
|
~1m
Sacramento
7.1 mi in
|
~11m
|
via I 80
El Cerrito
8.1 mi in
|
~12m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eastshore Freeway | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| MacArthur Freeway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Moeser Lane | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| San Pablo Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Arlington Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Central Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 14th Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| John B. Williams Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Eastshore Freeway
— 4.3 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oakland, CA and Kensington, CA.
1
Start on 14th Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
14th Street
2
Turn right onto Castro Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Castro Street
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 980 East, CA 24: Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Hayward
4
Merge onto I 980
0.4 mi
·
25 sec
·
John B. Williams Freeway
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 580: San Francisco, Hayward
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 580 West: San Francisco, MacArthur Freeway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 580
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
MacArthur Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 80; I 580
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Toward I 80 East: Vallejo, Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 14A
Toward Central Avenue, El Cerrito
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Central Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto CA 123
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
San Pablo Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Turn right onto Moeser Lane
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Moeser Lane
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn right onto Arlington Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Arlington Boulevard
15
Continue on Arlington Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Arlington Avenue
16
Continue on Arlington Avenue
345 ft
·
12 sec
·
Arlington Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Arlington Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.67 one way
$5.33 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.75 | $5.49 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.82 | $5.64 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.56 | $5.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.02 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Kensington, CA
Night in Kensington on Thursday
Local time
9:12 PM
PDT
Current temp
47°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
20 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
20m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Oakland, CA to Kensington, CA covers 11.6 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Eastshore Freeway, MacArthur Freeway, Moeser Lane. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.8 miles from Oakland, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.67 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 12 decision points packed into just 11.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.1 miles (I 80 / Eastshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Oakland, CA and Kensington, CA, road signs point toward San Francisco, Hayward, Sacramento and El Cerrito.
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