Drive Time
14h 16m
Distance
763.6 mi
1,229 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$104
one way
Photo: Gu Bra
The drive from San Diego, CA to Willow Creek, CA covers 763.6 miles and takes about 14h 16m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on West Broadway, 1st Avenue, I 5 North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $103.72 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
4 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
381.8 miles from San Diego, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 7h 8m into the drive .
At 763.6 miles and 14h 16m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are West Broadway and 1st Avenue.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Broadway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| 1st Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 5 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| San Diego Freeway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Bake Parkway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Jamboree Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| El Camino Real | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Newport Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between San Diego, CA and Willow Creek, CA.
Start on Front Street
Turn left onto West Broadway
Turn left onto 1st Avenue
Take the ramp left toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Merge slight left onto San Diego Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on San Diego Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on San Diego Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on San Diego Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Bake Parkway
Keep slight right
Take the exit slight right toward Jamboree Road
Continue straight
Turn right onto Jamboree Road
Turn left onto El Camino Real
Turn left onto Newport Avenue
Take the ramp right toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Golden State Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
Keep slight left
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway
Keep left to continue on Westside Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on Westside Freeway
Continue on Cascade Wonderland Highway
Take the exit slight right toward CA 44: Eureka, Susanville
Keep slight left to continue on CA 44 West: Eureka, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Merge slight left
Turn right onto Pine Street
Turn left onto Eureka Way
Continue straight
Turn right onto Bigfoot Scenic Byway
Arrive at your destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 168 miles or 3h 8m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 381.8 miles or 7h 8m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 381.8 miles or 7h 8m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 13h 9m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Willow Creek, CA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving San Diego, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from San Diego, CA
Aim for roughly 382 miles and 7.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Willow Creek, CA
Aim for roughly 382 miles and 7.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 381.8 mi from San Diego, CA · 7h 8m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
252 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
504 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Red Bluff, CANight 1
382 mi · about 7.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Sacramento, CA after about 382 miles or 7.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 168 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 381.8 miles from San Diego, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 382 miles or 7.1 hours on the road.
Final-third reset
Rest stopPlan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.
The final approach into Willow Creek, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Willow Creek, CA.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Willow Creek, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$103.72 one way
$207.43 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.85 | $115.74 | $231.49 |
| premium | $4.15 | $124.76 | $249.52 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $112.74 | $225.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$104
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$234–$344
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 267.2 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $80 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 229.1 | 2 | $80.18 | $36.65 |
| Efficient EV | 190.9 | 2 | $66.82 | $30.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 305.4 | 3 | $106.90 | $48.87 |
Gas CO2
267 kg
EV CO2
89 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Morning in San Diego on Saturday
Local time
6:07 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Morning in Willow Creek on Saturday
Local time
6:07 AM
PDT
Current temp
42°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
53°F
Bakersfield, CA
252 mi in
49°F
Red Bluff, CA
504 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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