Origin
Oakland, CA
Late night in Oakland on Friday
Local time
3:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oakland, CA to Richmond, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
11.8 mi
19 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Richmond, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Oakland, CA to Richmond, CA covers 11.8 miles and takes about 18m 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 3.5 miles on John T. Knox Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.71 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 11.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m 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.
Drive Character
This is a 18m highway drive covering 11.8 miles, with most of the trip on John T. Knox Freeway and Eastshore Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 3.5 miles on John T. Knox Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
John T. Knox Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 3.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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.
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 11 decision points packed into just 11.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.
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.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 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...
9
7.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
8
10.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward Marina Bay Parkway, South 23rd Street
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 10A
Toward Marina Bay Parkway, South 23rd Street
6
10.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
South 23rd Street
Turn right onto South 23rd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / 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 Richmond, CA, road signs point toward Hayward and San Rafael.
Hayward
1.2 mi in
|
~2m
San Rafael
7.1 mi in
|
~11m
|
via I 580
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John T. Knox Freeway | 3.5 mi | 3m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| MacArthur Freeway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| South 23rd Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| 14th Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| John B. Williams Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Castro Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Macdonald Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John T. Knox Freeway
— 3.5 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oakland, CA and Richmond, 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 right at fork onto I 580
3.5 mi
·
3 min
·
John T. Knox Freeway
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 10A
Toward Marina Bay Parkway, South 23rd Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto South 23rd Street
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
South 23rd Street
Use the left / right lanes.
12
Turn left
280 ft
·
22 sec
13
At end of road, turn right onto Macdonald Avenue
105 ft
·
2 sec
·
Macdonald Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
Macdonald Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.71 one way
$5.42 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.79 | $5.59 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.87 | $5.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.61 | $5.21 |
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 | $1.24 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.03 | $0.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.65 | $0.76 |
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
Richmond, CA
Late night in Richmond on Friday
Local time
3:57 AM
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
18m 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 Richmond, CA covers 11.8 miles and takes about 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are John T. Knox Freeway, Eastshore Freeway, MacArthur Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.9 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 $2.71 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 11 decision points packed into just 11.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.
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.
Between Oakland, CA and Richmond, CA, road signs point toward Hayward and San Rafael.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Muir Woods National Monument. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.
How this page is built
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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