The drive from San Francisco, CA to Blythe, CA covers 602 miles and takes about 11h 8m behind the wheel.
It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Westside Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, I 5 Truck for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is long-distance drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 224.4 miles on Westside Freeway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $138.37 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
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
301 miles from San Francisco, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 5h 31m into the drive
.
Loading map...
Drive Character
At 602 miles and 11h 8m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Westside Freeway and Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 35 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Westside Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 224.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8 miles in.
Route Complexity10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
This is a demanding drive. With 29 significant decision points across 602 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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 356 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 380.7 miles (I 210 / Foothill Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 29 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
8 mi into trip|~13m in
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
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 8B
Toward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-St...
7
356 mi into trip|~6h 34m in
Take the exit toward I 210 East: Pasadena
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 161A
Toward I 210 East: Pasadena
8
380.7 mi into trip|~7h 3m in|I 210 / Foothill Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210 / Foothill Freeway toward CA 134 West, I 210 East: San Bernardino, Ventura
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CA 134 West, I 210 East: San Bernardino,...
8
404.5 mi into trip|~7h 31m in
Take the exit toward I 10 East, I 10 West: San Bernardino, Los Angeles
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 22A; 22B
Toward I 10 East, I 10 West: San Bernardino, Lo...
9
404.6 mi into trip|~7h 31m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San Bernardino
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 22B
Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San B...
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between San Francisco, CA and Blythe, CA, road signs point toward Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Redlands and Palm Springs.
Ventura
380.7 mi in|~7h 3m|via I 210
Los Angeles
404.5 mi in|~7h 31m
San Bernardino
404.6 mi in|~7h 31m
Redlands
434.5 mi in|~8h 6m|via I 10
Palm Springs
434.5 mi in|~8h 6m|via I 10
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Westside Freeway
224.4 mi
4h
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
132.9 mi
2h 23m
I 5 Truck
58.4 mi
1h 6m
Foothill Freeway
44 mi
50m
Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
33.5 mi
35m
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
29.3 mi
33m
San Bernardino Freeway
20.1 mi
23m
William Elton Brown Freeway
17 mi
18m
Longest stretch:
Westside Freeway
— 224.4 mi, about 4h
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Blythe, CA.
1
Start on Market Street
312 ft·7 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
0.3 mi·25 sec
Toward I 80 East: OaklandUse the left / straight lanes.
5
Merge onto I 80
0.9 mi·1 min·Route 80
6
Continue on I 80
5.8 mi·8 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
1.0 mi·1 min
Exit 8BToward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-StocktonUse the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 580
16 mi·18 min·MacArthur Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Merge onto I 580
12 mi·13 min·Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
18 mi·20 min·Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
11 mi·11 min·William Elton Brown Freeway
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
5.9 mi·6 min·William Elton Brown Freeway
13
Merge onto I 5
224 mi·4 hr·Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
58 mi·1 hr 6 min·I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
2.0 mi·2 min·Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi·17 sec
Exit 161AToward I 210 East: PasadenaUse the slight right lane.
17
Continue on I 210
24 mi·28 min·Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210
19 mi·22 min·Foothill Freeway
Toward CA 134 West, I 210 East: San Bernardino, VenturaUse the slight right lane.
19
Keep slight right at fork onto I 210
0.5 mi·32 sec·Foothill Freeway
20
Take the exit
0.9 mi·1 min
Exit 44AToward CA 57 South: Santa AnaUse the slight right lane.
21
Continue on CA 57
3.4 mi·3 min·Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Exit 22A; 22BToward I 10 East, I 10 West: San Bernardino, Los AngelesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi·1 min
Exit 22BToward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San BernardinoUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
24
Merge onto I 10
1.9 mi·2 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
4.0 mi·4 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 EXPR
9.0 mi·9 min·I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
Use the slight left lane.
27
Merge onto I 10
14 mi·16 min·San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
28
Continue on I 10
40 mi·44 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Toward Redlands, Palm SpringsUse the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
32 mi·34 min·Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10
1.1 mi·1 min·Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
31
Continue on I 10
93 mi·1 hr 39 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
32
Take the exit
0.3 mi·46 sec
Toward Lovekin Boulevard
33
Turn left onto South Lovekin Boulevard
0.3 mi·32 sec·South Lovekin Boulevard
34
Turn right onto I 10 Business
0.5 mi·1 min·West Hobsonway
35
Arrive at destination
I 10 Business
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 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 301 miles from San Francisco, CA, or about 5h 31m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 224.4 miles.
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 132 miles or 2h 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 301 miles or 5h 31m 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 301 miles or 5h 31m
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 10h 2m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Blythe, 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 301 miles and 5.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Blythe, CA
Aim for roughly 301 miles and 5.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 132 miles from San Francisco, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Westside Freeway for about 224.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 301 mi from San Francisco, CA
· 5h 31m into the drive
The midpoint is around 301 miles from San Francisco, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before Westside Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 224.4 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stop
For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 301 miles or 5.6 hours on the road.
Arriving in Blythe, CA
The final approach into Blythe, 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 Blythe, CA.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Blythe, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$138.37 one way
$276.73 round trip
$5.84/gal25.4 MPG avg211 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$6.02
$142.58
$285.17
premium
$6.18
$146.40
$292.80
diesel
$5.61
$132.91
$265.83
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$138
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$268–$378
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 210.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $63 in charging
· 2 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
180.6
2
$63.21
$28.90
Efficient EV
150.5
1
$52.68
$24.08
EV Truck/SUV
240.8
3
$84.28
$38.53
Gas CO2
211 kg
EV CO2
70 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.
Forecast data refreshed 1 day ago
Origin
San Francisco, CA
Late night
in San Francisco on Wednesday
Local time
3:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Partly Cloudy
NW 2 mph8% chanceLive forecast
Winter Weather Advisory
Winter Weather Advisory issued April 13 at 12:17AM PDT until April 13 at 7:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Winter Weather Advisory
Winter Weather Advisory issued April 13 at 12:17AM PDT until April 13 at 7:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Destination
Blythe, CA
Late night
in Blythe on Wednesday
Local time
3:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
87°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
38 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
11h 8m 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 Blythe, CA covers 602 miles and takes about 11h 8m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Westside Freeway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, I 5 Truck. 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 301 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 301 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 $138.37 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 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 29 significant decision points across 602 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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 356 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 380.7 miles (I 210 / Foothill Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between San Francisco, CA and Blythe, CA, road signs point toward Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Redlands and Palm Springs.
