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Trip from Sacramento, CA to Ione, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 3m

Distance

40.2 mi

65 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
0h 58m ★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 1m

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

city in Amador County, California, USA

Ione, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Sacramento, CA to Ione, CA covers 40.2 miles and takes about 1h 3m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on CA 16, Ione Road, El Dorado Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.3 miles on CA 16. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.24 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 3m. Total distance: 40.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 3m highway drive covering 40.2 miles, with most of the trip on CA 16 and Ione Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 20.3 miles on CA 16.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
CA 16 is the longest continuous segment at about 20.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 16 and Ione Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near 15th Street.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 40.2 miles you will encounter 14 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 2.3 miles (US 50 / El Dorado Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 14 key points

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

5
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | 15th Street

Turn right onto 15th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
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
8
6.1 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward CA 16 East: Howe Avenue, Power Inn Road

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 9 Toward CA 16 East: Howe Avenue, Power Inn Road
9
6.3 mi into trip | ~9m in

Keep slight left at fork toward CA 16: Howe Avenue, Power Inn Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward CA 16: Howe Avenue, Power Inn Road
9
6.4 mi into trip | ~9m in

Keep slight right at fork toward CA 16 East: Jackson, Power Inn Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward CA 16 East: Jackson, Power Inn Road

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
CA 16 20.3 mi 30m
Ione Road 6 mi 10m
El Dorado Freeway 3.8 mi 4m
Ione Michigan Bar Road 3 mi 5m
Twin Cities Road 3 mi 5m
15th Street 1.1 mi 2m
Folsom Boulevard 0.6 mi <1m
Preston Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: CA 16 — 20.3 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sacramento, CA and Ione, 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

3.8 mi · 4 min · El Dorado Freeway
Exit 6A Toward US 50 East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 9 Toward CA 16 East: Howe Avenue, Power Inn Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Toward CA 16: Howe Avenue, Power Inn Road Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork

215 ft · 5 sec
Toward CA 16 East: Jackson, Power Inn Road Use the right lane.
11

Turn straight onto CA 16

0.2 mi · 14 sec · Howe Avenue
12

Turn left onto CA 16

0.6 mi · 52 sec · Folsom Boulevard
Use the left lane.
13

Turn slight right onto CA 16

20 mi · 30 min · CA 16
Use the left / straight lanes.
14

Turn right onto Ione Road

6.0 mi · 10 min · Ione Road
15

Continue on Ione Michigan Bar Road

3.0 mi · 5 min · Ione Michigan Bar Road
16

At end of road, turn left onto CA 104

3.0 mi · 5 min · Twin Cities Road
17

Continue on CA 104

0.5 mi · 1 min · Preston Avenue
18

At end of road, turn left onto CA 104; CA 124

524 ft · 15 sec · East Main Street
19

Arrive at destination

CA 104

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 20.1 mi from Sacramento, CA · 29m into the drive

Downtown Live Oak, CA, CA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Live Oak, CA

20 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

Amador City, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Live Oak, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.1 miles from Sacramento, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Ione, CA

The final approach into Ione, 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

$9.24 one way

$18.48 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $9.52 $19.04
premium $6.18 $9.78 $19.55
diesel $5.61 $8.88 $17.75

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.1 0 $4.22 $1.93
Efficient EV 10.1 0 $3.52 $1.61
EV Truck/SUV 16.1 0 $5.63 $2.57

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Sacramento, CA

Morning in Sacramento on Friday

Local time

6:42 AM

PDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Ione, CA

Morning in Ione on Friday

Local time

6:42 AM

PDT

Current temp

67°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

1 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 3m 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 Sacramento, CA to Ione, CA covers 40.2 miles and takes about 1h 3m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are CA 16, Ione Road, El Dorado 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 20.1 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 $9.24 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 40.2 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.5 miles (15th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (US 50 / El Dorado Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

The route from Sacramento, CA to Ione, 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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