Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
38.3 mi
62 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Blackhawk, CA
Veronika Andrews
The drive from San Francisco, CA to Blackhawk, CA covers 38.3 miles and takes about 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Caldecott Tunnel, Donald D Doyle Highway, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.8 miles on Caldecott Tunnel. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.80 one way before food or hotel costs.
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 38.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Expect a 58m drive with frequent turns across 38.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8 miles in.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 22 decision points packed into just 38.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Take the exit toward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-Stockton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward CA 24 East: Berkeley, Walnut Creek
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 680 South: Mount Diablo Boulevard, San Jose
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 680 South: San Jose, Dublin, South Main Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Sycamore Valley Road East, Sycamore Valley Road West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between San Francisco, CA and Blackhawk, CA, road signs point toward Hayward-Stockton, Walnut Creek, San Jose, Dublin, Sycamore Valley Road East and Sycamore Valley Road West.
Hayward-Stockton
Walnut Creek
San Jose
Dublin
Sycamore Valley Road East
Sycamore Valley Road West
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Caldecott Tunnel | 8.8 mi | 10m |
| Donald D Doyle Highway | 6.7 mi | 7m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 5.8 mi | 8m |
| Grove Shafter Freeway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Camino Tassajara | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Sycamore Valley Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Blackhawk Drive | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Blackhawk Road | 1 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Blackhawk, CA.
Start on Market Street
Turn right onto 11th Street
Turn left onto Bryant Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 80
Continue on I 80
Take the exit
Merge onto I 580
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto CA 24
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 24
Continue on CA 24
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 680
Continue on I 680
Keep slight right at fork onto I 680
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn straight onto Sycamore Valley Road
Continue on Camino Tassajara
Turn left onto Blackhawk Road
Turn right onto Blackhawk Drive
Enter roundabout onto Eagle Nest Place
Continue on Eagle Nest Place
Turn left onto Eagle Ridge Drive
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 19.1 mi from San Francisco, CA · 27m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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.
A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 19.1 miles from San Francisco, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Blackhawk, CA if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$8.80 one way
$17.61 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $9.07 | $18.14 |
| premium | $6.18 | $9.31 | $18.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.46 | $16.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.02 | $1.84 |
| Efficient EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.36 | $2.45 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in San Francisco on Friday
Local time
5:53 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Clear
Destination
Late night in Blackhawk on Friday
Local time
5:53 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
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.
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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