Origin
Oakland, CA
Morning in Oakland on Saturday
Local time
6:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oakland, CA to San Rafael, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
22.1 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Rafael, CA
David McElwee
Trip Overview
The drive from Oakland, CA to San Rafael, CA covers 22.1 miles and takes about 31m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Castro Street, I 980 East, John B for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.08 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 22.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 31m drive with frequent turns across 22.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Castro Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 Oakland, CA to San Rafael, CA is easy. At 31m 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 Oakland, CA to San Rafael, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Castro Street | — | — |
| I 980 East | — | — |
| John B | — | — |
| I 580 | — | — |
| I 580 West | — | — |
| MacArthur Freeway | — | — |
| Eastshore Freeway | — | — |
| John T | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Castro Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oakland, CA and San Rafael, CA.
1
Start on 14th Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
14th Street
2
Turn right onto Castro Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Castro Street
3
Take the ramp straight toward I 980 East, CA 24: Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Hayward
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
I 980 East, CA 24: Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Hayward
4
Merge slight left onto John B. Williams Freeway
0.4 mi
·
26 sec
·
John B. Williams Freeway
5
Take the exit slight right toward I 580: San Francisco, Hayward
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
I 580: San Francisco, Hayward
6
Keep slight left to continue on I 580 West: San Francisco, MacArthur Freeway
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 580 West: San Francisco, MacArthur Freeway
7
Merge slight left onto MacArthur Freeway
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
MacArthur Freeway
8
Continue on Eastshore Freeway
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
9
Keep slight right to continue on John T. Knox Freeway
13 mi
·
17 min
·
John T. Knox Freeway
10
Keep slight left to continue on US 101 North: San Rafeal
0.7 mi
·
54 sec
·
US 101 North: San Rafeal
11
Merge slight left onto Redwood Highway
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Redwood Highway
12
Take the exit slight right toward Central San Rafael
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Central San Rafael
13
Continue on Irwin Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Irwin Street
14
Turn left onto Fourth Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Fourth Street
15
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.08 one way
$10.16 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.23 | $10.47 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.37 | $10.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.88 | $9.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 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 | 6.6 | 0 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.93 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.09 | $1.41 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
San Rafael, CA
Morning in San Rafael on Saturday
Local time
6:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°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
8 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
31m 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 San Rafael, CA covers 22.1 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Castro Street, I 980 East, John B. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11 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 $5.08 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.
The drive from Oakland, CA to San Rafael, CA is easy. At 31m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Oakland, CA to San Rafael, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Oakland, CA to San Rafael, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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