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Trip from San Francisco, CA to Cherry Valley, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

8h 34m

Distance

456.6 mi

735 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$105

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 23 min
4 AM
8h 27m ★
6 AM
8h 34m
8 AM
8h 50m
10 AM
8h 40m
12 PM
8h 38m
3 PM
8h 41m
5 PM
8h 49m
8 PM
8h 30m

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

Downtown Cherry Valley, CA, CA

Cherry Valley, CA

Pham Ngoc Anh

Trip Overview

The drive from San Francisco, CA to Cherry Valley, CA covers 456.6 miles and takes about 8h 34m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on Westside Freeway, I 5 Truck, Foothill Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 224.4 miles on Westside Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $104.95 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

228.3 miles from San Francisco, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 13m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Westside Freeway 224.4 mi 4h
I 5 Truck 58.4 mi 1h 6m
Foothill Freeway 44 mi 50m
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway 29.3 mi 33m
San Bernardino Freeway 20.1 mi 23m
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway 18.2 mi 20m
William Elton Brown Freeway 17 mi 18m
MacArthur Freeway 15.9 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 Cherry Valley, 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: Oakland Use 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 8B Toward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-Stockton Use 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 161A Toward I 210 East: Pasadena Use 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, Ventura Use 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 44A Toward CA 57 South: Santa Ana Use 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; 22B Toward I 10 East, I 10 West: San Bernardino, Los Angeles Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23

Keep slight left at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 22B Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San Bernardino Use 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

18 mi · 20 min · Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Toward Redlands, Palm Springs Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 37 sec
Exit 90 Toward Cherry Valley Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30

Turn left onto Cherry Valley Boulevard

3.4 mi · 6 min · Cherry Valley Boulevard
31

Turn left onto Beaumont Avenue

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Beaumont Avenue
Use the left lane.
32

Arrive at destination

Beaumont Avenue

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 228.3 miles from San Francisco, CA, or about 4h 13m 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 100 miles or 1h 55m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 228.3 miles or 4h 13m 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 228.3 miles or 4h 13m

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 7h 21m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cherry Valley, 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 228 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Cherry Valley, CA

Aim for roughly 228 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 100 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.
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.

city and county seat of Kern County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Overnight candidate

Bakersfield, CA

228 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 Bakersfield, CA

Overnight Options

Night 1

Bakersfield, CA

228 mi · about 4.3h in

A practical overnight split lands near Bakersfield, CA after about 228 miles or 4.3 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Turlock, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 100 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Fresno, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 228.3 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 228 miles or 4.3 hours on the road.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 27

5 decision points cluster between mile 8 and 404.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

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...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$104.95 one way

$209.89 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 160 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $108.15 $216.29
premium $6.18 $111.04 $222.08
diesel $5.61 $100.81 $201.62

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$105

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$235–$345

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 159.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $48 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 137 1 $47.94 $21.92
Efficient EV 114.2 1 $39.95 $18.26
EV Truck/SUV 182.6 2 $63.92 $29.22

Gas CO2

160 kg

EV CO2

53 kg (67% 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 as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

San Francisco, CA

Afternoon in San Francisco on Saturday

Local time

1:13 PM

PDT

Current temp

44°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cherry Valley, CA

Afternoon in Cherry Valley on Saturday

Local time

1:13 PM

PDT

Current temp

67°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

23 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

8h 34m 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.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

National Historical Park

Established in 1988, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park celebrates America’s maritime heritage on the Pacific Coast. Our 50-acre park has grown around Aquatic Park Cove, a protected area...

2 mi from route ~6 min detour Free
Park Closure: Hyde Street Pier Closure
Caution: Sick Birds and Wildlife, H5N1
View on nps.gov
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park

Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park

National Historical Park

Celebrate and honor the contributions and sacrifices of American civilians on the WWII home front. Discover how diverse communities lived, worked, and interacted. Many faces, many stories, many truths...

10 mi from route ~25 min detour Free
View on nps.gov
Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area

Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species. Go for a hike, enjoy a vista, have a picnic or learn about the centuries of overlapping history f...

12 mi from route ~29 min detour Free
View on nps.gov
Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods National Monument

National Monument

Walk among old growth coast redwoods, cooling their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lifting their crowns to reach the sun and fog. Federally protected as a National Monument since 1908,...

12 mi from route ~30 min detour $15
View on nps.gov
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial

Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial

National Memorial

On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion jolted the San Francisco East Bay area, shattering windows and lighting up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were killed instantly when two s...

21 mi from route ~52 min detour Free near mile 15.7
View on nps.gov
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area

The Santa Monica Mountains offer easy access to surprisingly wild places. Experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. The park abounds with historical and cultura...

25 mi from route ~61 min detour Free near mile 362.1
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

What kind of drive is this?

456.6 mi in 8h 34m, mostly highway — 224.4 mi of that is on Westside Freeway.

93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
32 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 224.4 mi on Westside Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and I 5 Truck. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a demanding drive. With 27 significant decision points across 456.6 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.

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 Cherry Valley, CA, road signs point toward Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino.

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

About the Cities

Starting in San Francisco, CA

Full guide →

The centerpiece of the Bay Area, San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the world, and with good reason. The cultural center of northern California, San Francisco is renowned for its mixture of scenic beauty and unique culture that makes it one of the most vibrant and desirable cities in the nation, if not the world. Sandwiched between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on a small square of land seven miles (11 km) on each side, San Francisco offers a wealth of treasures for the visitor, from the windswept and often foggy bay to the steep hills lined with Victorian homes that overlook the spectacular scenery of the city.

Arriving in Cherry Valley, CA

Full guide →

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 224.4 miles on Westside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 228 miles on day one.

We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Cherry Valley, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 2 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.

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.

Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Not recommended in a single day. At 8.6 hours each way, a round trip means 17.1 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Cherry Valley, CA before the return drive.

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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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