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Trip from Sacramento, CA to Auburn Lake Trails, CA

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

1h 7m

Distance

44.5 mi

72 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 2m ★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 4m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

capital city of the U.S. state of California and seat of Sacramento County

Sacramento, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Auburn Lake Trails, CA, CA

Auburn Lake Trails, CA

Robert So

Trip Overview

The drive from Sacramento, CA to Auburn Lake Trails, CA covers 44.5 miles and takes about 1h 7m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Alan S. Hart Freeway, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, El Dorado Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.3 miles on Alan S. Hart Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.23 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 7m. Total distance: 44.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

The drive from Sacramento, CA to Auburn Lake Trails, CA covers 44.5 miles and takes about 1h 7m, 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 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Alan S. Hart Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 17.3 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 0.1 miles in near J Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.5 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (J Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (US 40 Historic / 16th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles (US 40 Historic / 16th Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | J Street

Turn left onto J Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
6
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | US 40 Historic / 16th Street

Turn left onto US 40 Historic / 16th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
6
1.2 mi into trip | ~2m in | US 40 Historic / 16th Street

Keep slight left at fork onto US 40 Historic / 16th Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
7
33.6 mi into trip | ~39m in

Take the exit toward CA 49 South: Placerville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 119C Toward CA 49 South: Placerville
7
33.9 mi into trip | ~40m in | CA 49 / El Dorado Street

Turn left onto CA 49 / El Dorado Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Alan S. Hart Freeway 17.3 mi 20m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 7 mi 8m
El Dorado Street 6 mi 13m
Capital City Freeway 4.9 mi 5m
North Sacramento Freeway 2.6 mi 2m
Georgetown Road 2.2 mi 3m
Sweetwater Trail 1.6 mi 6m
16th Street 1.2 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Alan S. Hart Freeway — 17.3 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sacramento, CA and Auburn Lake Trails, CA.

1

Start on 9th Street

348 ft · 16 sec · 9th Street
2

Turn left onto J Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · J Street
Use the straight lane.
3

Turn left onto US 40 Historic

0.6 mi · 1 min · 16th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
4

Keep slight left at fork onto US 40 Historic

0.6 mi · 58 sec · 16th Street
Use the straight lane.
5

Continue on North Sacramento Freeway

2.6 mi · 2 min · North Sacramento Freeway
Use the straight lane.
6

Merge onto I 80 Business

4.9 mi · 5 min · Capital City Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on I 80

7.0 mi · 8 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on I 80

17 mi · 20 min · Alan S. Hart Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 21 sec
Exit 119C Toward CA 49 South: Placerville Use the right lane.
10

Turn left onto CA 49

0.1 mi · 34 sec · Elm Avenue
11

Turn left onto CA 49

0.2 mi · 29 sec · El Dorado Street
Use the left lane.
12

Enter roundabout onto CA 49

103 ft · 3 sec · El Dorado Street
13

Continue on CA 49

2.3 mi · 5 min · El Dorado Street
14

Continue on CA 49

3.6 mi · 7 min · El Dorado Street
15

Continue on CA 49

102 ft · 9 sec · CA 49
Use the left lane.
16

Turn left onto CA 193

2.2 mi · 3 min · Georgetown Road
Use the left lane.
17

Turn left onto Sweetwater Trail

1.6 mi · 6 min · Sweetwater Trail
18

Turn right onto Hidden Gold Trail

0.1 mi · 38 sec · Hidden Gold Trail
19

Turn left onto Brown Bear Trail

0.5 mi · 1 min · Brown Bear Trail
20

Turn left onto Cascade Trail

0.2 mi · 39 sec · Cascade Trail
21

Arrive at destination

Cascade Trail

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 22.3 mi from Sacramento, CA · 26m into the drive

city and the county seat of Placer County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Auburn, CA

22 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

Carmichael, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Rocklin, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22.3 miles from Sacramento, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Auburn Lake Trails, CA

The final approach into Auburn Lake Trails, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.23 one way

$20.46 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $10.54 $21.08
premium $6.18 $10.82 $21.64
diesel $5.61 $9.83 $19.65

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.4 0 $4.67 $2.14
Efficient EV 11.1 0 $3.89 $1.78
EV Truck/SUV 17.8 0 $6.23 $2.85

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Sacramento, CA

Afternoon in Sacramento on Thursday

Local time

2:27 PM

PDT

Current temp

68°F

Sunny

NNW 13 to 18 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 10:43AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Medford OR

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 10:32AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Destination

Auburn Lake Trails, CA

Afternoon in Auburn Lake Trails on Thursday

Local time

2:27 PM

PDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

64°F

Auburn, CA

22 mi in

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

23 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

1h 7m on the road

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Sacramento, CA to Auburn Lake Trails, CA covers 44.5 miles and takes about 1h 7m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Alan S. Hart Freeway, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, El Dorado Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 22.3 miles from Sacramento, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $10.23 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.5 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (J Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (US 40 Historic / 16th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles (US 40 Historic / 16th Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Sacramento, CA to Auburn Lake Trails, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Auburn Lake Trails, CA to Sacramento, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

44.2 mi 1h 6m

Explore more options from Sacramento, CA or browse trips ending in Auburn Lake Trails, CA.

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