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Trip from San Francisco, CA to Alpine, CA

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

9h 52m

Distance

520.1 mi

837 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$120

one way

EV Charging

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station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 26 min
4 AM
9h 44m ★
6 AM
9h 53m
8 AM
10h 10m
10 AM
9h 59m
12 PM
9h 57m
3 PM
10h 0m
5 PM
10h 9m
8 PM
9h 47m

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

consolidated city and county in California, United States

San Francisco, CA

Wikimedia Commons

census-designated place in San Diego County, California, United States

Alpine, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from San Francisco, CA to Alpine, CA covers 520.1 miles and takes about 9h 52m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on 11th Street, Bryant Street, I 80 East for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $119.54 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

2 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

260 miles from San Francisco, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 56m into the drive .

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Drive Character

At 520.1 miles and 9h 52m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are 11th Street and Bryant Street.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 51 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
11th Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

At 9h 52m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Route Complexity 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 52m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Francisco, CA to Alpine, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
11th Street Unavailable Refreshing
Bryant Street Unavailable Refreshing
I 80 East Unavailable Refreshing
Route 80 Unavailable Refreshing
Dwight D Unavailable Refreshing
I 580 East Unavailable Refreshing
MacArthur Freeway Unavailable Refreshing
Arthur H Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: 11th Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Alpine, CA.

1

Start on Market Street

312 ft · 8 sec · Market Street
2

Turn right onto 11th Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · 11th Street
3

Turn left onto Bryant Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · Bryant Street
4

Take the ramp left toward I 80 East: Oakland

0.3 mi · 26 sec · I 80 East: Oakland
5

Merge slight right onto Route 80

0.9 mi · 1 min · Route 80
6

Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway

5.8 mi · 8 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
7

Take the exit slight right toward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-Stockton

1.0 mi · 1 min · I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-Stockton
8

Merge slight left onto MacArthur Freeway

16 mi · 18 min · MacArthur Freeway
9

Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

12 mi · 13 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
10

Keep slight right to continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

18 mi · 20 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
11

Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway

11 mi · 12 min · William Elton Brown Freeway
12

Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway

5.9 mi · 6 min · William Elton Brown Freeway
13

Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway

224 mi · 4 hr · Westside Freeway
14

Keep slight right

58 mi · 1 hr 6 min
15

Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway

4.1 mi · 4 min · Golden State Freeway
16

Keep slight right to continue on I 405 South

0.3 mi · 18 sec · I 405 South
17

Keep slight left

25 mi · 29 min
18

Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway

1.3 mi · 1 min · Golden State Freeway
19

Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway

26 mi · 30 min · Santa Ana Freeway
20

Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway

0.2 mi · 16 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
21

Take the exit slight right toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana

0.8 mi · 57 sec · Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
22

Keep slight left

0.1 mi · 10 sec
23

Keep slight left to continue on I 5 South

0.2 mi · 13 sec · I 5 South
24

Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway

0.8 mi · 54 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
25

Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway

0.8 mi · 52 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
26

Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway

1.2 mi · 1 min · Santa Ana Freeway
27

Take the exit slight right toward Newport Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · Newport Avenue
28

Turn right onto Newport Avenue

0.4 mi · 44 sec · Newport Avenue
29

Turn left onto Walnut Avenue

2.2 mi · 4 min · Walnut Avenue
30

Turn left onto Jamboree Road

0.5 mi · 38 sec · Jamboree Road
31

Take the exit slight right toward I 5 South

0.3 mi · 21 sec · I 5 South
32

Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway

5.5 mi · 6 min · Santa Ana Freeway
33

Keep slight left to continue on Santa Ana Freeway

0.8 mi · 56 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
34

Merge slight right onto San Diego Freeway

62 mi · 1 hr 13 min · San Diego Freeway
35

Take the exit slight left

0.8 mi · 55 sec
36

Continue on Jacob Dekema Freeway

4.0 mi · 4 min · Jacob Dekema Freeway
37

Take the exit slight right toward CA 52: Junction

0.2 mi · 19 sec · CA 52: Junction
38

Keep slight left to continue on CA 52 East: Santee

0.6 mi · 57 sec · CA 52 East: Santee
39

Merge slight left onto San Clemente Canyon Freeway

13 mi · 15 min · San Clemente Canyon Freeway
40

Keep slight left to continue on CA 67 North: Ramona

0.7 mi · 1 min · CA 67 North: Ramona
41

Merge slight left onto San Vicente Freeway

3.0 mi · 3 min · San Vicente Freeway
42

Take the exit slight right toward Mapleview Street East, Business District

157 ft · 5 sec · Mapleview Street East, Business District
43

Turn right onto Mapleview Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · Mapleview Street
44

Continue on Lake Jennings Park Road

2.4 mi · 3 min · Lake Jennings Park Road
45

Take the ramp straight toward I 8 East: El Centro

0.3 mi · 34 sec · I 8 East: El Centro
46

Merge slight left onto Kumeyaay Highway

6.3 mi · 6 min · Kumeyaay Highway
47

Take the exit slight right toward Alpine, Tavern Road

0.3 mi · 46 sec · Alpine, Tavern Road
48

Turn right onto Tavern Road

499 ft · 19 sec · Tavern Road
49

Turn left onto Alpine Boulevard

0.7 mi · 1 min · Alpine Boulevard
50

Turn right

141 ft · 10 sec
51

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

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.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 260 miles from San Francisco, CA, or about 4h 56m into the drive.

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 114 miles or 2h 9m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 260 miles or 4h 56m 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 260 miles or 4h 56m

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 8h 44m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Alpine, CA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving San Francisco, 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 Francisco, CA

Aim for roughly 260 miles and 4.9 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Alpine, CA

Aim for roughly 260 miles and 4.9 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 114 miles from San Francisco, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 260 mi from San Francisco, CA · 4h 56m into the drive

city in and county seat of Stanislaus County, California, United States

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

Modesto, CA

172 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.

Popular next leg

Modesto, CA to Los Angeles, CA

311.7 mi · 5h 52m

Downtown los-angeles-ca

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

Los Angeles, CA

343 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 Los Angeles, CA

Overnight Options

Night 1

Santa Clarita, CA

260 mi · about 4.9h in

A practical overnight split lands near Santa Clarita, CA after about 260 miles or 4.9 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Dublin, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 114 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Santa Clarita, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 260 miles from San Francisco, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 260 miles or 4.9 hours on the road.

Arriving in Alpine, CA

The final approach into Alpine, 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 Alpine, CA.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Alpine, 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.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$119.54 one way

$239.08 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 182 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $123.19 $246.37
premium $6.18 $126.48 $252.97
diesel $5.61 $114.83 $229.66

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$120

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$250–$360

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 182 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $55 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 156 1 $54.61 $24.96
Efficient EV 130 1 $45.51 $20.80
EV Truck/SUV 208 2 $72.81 $33.29

Gas CO2

182 kg

EV CO2

61 kg (66% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 data refreshed 6 hours ago

Origin

San Francisco, CA

Late night in San Francisco on Wednesday

Local time

12:31 AM

PDT

Current temp

44°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Alpine, CA

Late night in Alpine on Wednesday

Local time

12:31 AM

PDT

Current temp

69°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

25 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

9h 52m on the road

This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from San Francisco, CA to Alpine, CA covers 520.1 miles and takes about 9h 52m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 11th Street, Bryant Street, I 80 East. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 260 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 260 miles from San Francisco, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $119.54 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 52m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Francisco, CA to Alpine, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from San Francisco, CA to Alpine, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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