Origin
Sacramento, CA
Afternoon in Sacramento on Saturday
Local time
1:57 PM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sacramento, CA to El Dorado Hills, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
29.8 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sacramento, CA
Wikimedia Commons
El Dorado Hills, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
The drive from Sacramento, CA to El Dorado Hills, CA covers 29.8 miles and takes about 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on El Dorado Freeway, El Dorado Hills Boulevard, 15th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.3 miles on El Dorado Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.85 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| El Dorado Freeway | 24.3 mi | 27m |
| El Dorado Hills Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| 15th Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| J Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Capital City Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Governor Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Stanford Lane | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| X Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
El Dorado Freeway
— 24.3 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sacramento, CA and El Dorado Hills, CA.
1
Start on 9th Street
348 ft
·
16 sec
·
9th Street
2
Turn left onto J Street
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
J Street
3
Turn right onto 15th Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
15th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto X Street
400 ft
·
8 sec
·
X Street
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 80 East, CA 99 South: Reno, Placerville, Fresno
6
Merge onto US 50; I 80 Business
0.4 mi
·
22 sec
·
Capital City Freeway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 50
24 mi
·
27 min
·
El Dorado Freeway
Exit 6A
Toward US 50 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 30B
Toward El Dorado Hills Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on El Dorado Hills Boulevard
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
El Dorado Hills Boulevard
Use the left / uturn / straight / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto Governor Drive
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Governor Drive
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto Stanford Lane
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Stanford Lane
12
Arrive at destination
Stanford Lane
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 29.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
15th Street
Turn right onto 15th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 80 East, CA 99 South: Reno, Placerville, Fresno
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 80 East, CA 99 South: Reno, Placervill...
8
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 50 / El Dorado Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 50 / El Dorado Freeway toward US 50 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6A
Toward US 50 East
7
26.6 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward El Dorado Hills Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 30B
Toward El Dorado Hills Boulevard
5
29.5 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
Governor Drive
Turn left onto Governor Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.85 one way
$13.70 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.06 | $14.12 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.25 | $14.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.58 | $13.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
El Dorado Hills, CA
Afternoon in El Dorado Hills on Saturday
Local time
1:57 PM
PDT
Current temp
66°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
2 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
37m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
29.8 mi in 37m, mostly highway — 24.3 mi of that is on El Dorado Freeway.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.3 mi on El Dorado Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on El Dorado Freeway and El Dorado Hills Boulevard. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near 15th Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 29.8 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.5 miles (15th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles (US 50 / El Dorado Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Sacramento, CA and El Dorado Hills, CA, road signs point toward Placerville and Fresno.
Placerville
1.7 mi in
|
~3m
Fresno
1.7 mi in
|
~3m
About the Cities
Starting in Sacramento, CA
Full guide →Founded 1849
Sacramento is the state capital of California in the United States. It is the regional center for the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, which dominates much of the surrounding Sacramento Valley and stretches into parts of Gold Country. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, settled between the confluences of the Sacramento and American rivers. The city has been the site of many important historic events that have shaped California and U.S. history, most notably the California Gold Rush and location of the original terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Much of this historical legacy has been preserved, especially in the historic Old Sacramento district, where buildings and railroads from that era continue to attract visitors. However, Sacramento is not a city that is stuck in the past. As the capital of the most populous U.S.
Top landmarks
- • California State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of California
- • Crocker Art Museum — art museum in Sacramento, California
- • Sacramento Valley Station — main railroad and light rail station in Sacramento, California
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 29.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.3 miles on El Dorado Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at El Dorado Hills, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (15th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles (US 50 / El Dorado Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at El Dorado Hills, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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