Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Larkspur, CA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Oakland, CA to Larkspur, CA covers 22.5 miles and takes about 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on John T. Knox Freeway, Eastshore Freeway, MacArthur Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.6 miles on John T. Knox Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.17 one way before food or hotel costs.
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
This is a 35m highway drive covering 22.5 miles, with most of the trip on John T. Knox Freeway and Eastshore Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 11.6 miles on John T. Knox Freeway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on John T. Knox Freeway and Eastshore Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in.
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 16 decision points packed into just 22.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
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 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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
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
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Lucky Drive, Doherty Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Oakland, CA and Larkspur, CA, road signs point toward Hayward and San Rafael.
Hayward
San Rafael
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John T. Knox Freeway | 11.6 mi | 15m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| MacArthur Freeway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Sir Francis Drake Boulevard East | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Doherty Drive | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| 14th Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| John B. Williams Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Magnolia Avenue | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Oakland, CA and Larkspur, CA.
Start on 14th Street
Turn right onto Castro Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 980
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 580
Continue on I 80; I 580
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork onto Sir Francis Drake Boulevard East
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 101
Take the exit
Continue on Fifer Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Lucky Drive
Turn right onto Doherty Drive
At end of road, turn left onto Magnolia Avenue
Turn left onto King Street
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$5.17 one way
$10.34 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.33 | $10.66 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.47 | $10.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Oakland on Friday
Local time
3:14 AM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Sunny
Destination
Late night in Larkspur on Friday
Local time
3:14 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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