Origin
San Francisco, CA
Night in San Francisco on Thursday
Local time
11:32 PM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to Chinatown, CA
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
21m
Distance
11.9 mi
19 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Chinatown, CA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
The drive from San Francisco, CA to Chinatown, CA covers 11.9 miles and takes about 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Nimitz Freeway, Route 80 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.1 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.74 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 11.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m 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.
Drive Character
Expect a 21m drive with frequent turns across 11.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 5.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 1 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 11.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 80 East: Oakland
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Toward I 80 East: Oakland
8
7.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward I 880 South: Alameda, San Jose
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 8A
Toward I 880 South: Alameda, San Jose
7
7.8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 880 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 880 South
8
10.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Broadway, Alameda
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 42
Toward Broadway, Alameda
7
11.7 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
9th Street
Turn right onto 9th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
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 Chinatown, CA, road signs point toward San Jose, Broadway and Alameda.
San Jose
7.3 mi in
|
~12m
Broadway
10.2 mi in
|
~16m
Alameda
10.2 mi in
|
~16m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 5.1 mi | 7m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Route 80 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| 5th Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| 11th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Bryant Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Broadway | 0.2 mi | 1m |
| 9th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 5.1 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Chinatown, 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
5.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 8A
Toward I 880 South: Alameda, San Jose
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
1.2 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 880 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 880
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 42
Toward Broadway, Alameda
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto 5th Street
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
5th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Continue on 5th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
5th Street
13
Turn left onto Broadway
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Turn right onto 9th Street
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
·
9th Street
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn left
86 ft
·
6 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.74 one way
$5.47 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.82 | $5.64 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.89 | $5.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.63 | $5.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Chinatown, CA
Night in Chinatown on Thursday
Local time
11:32 PM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
21m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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 Chinatown, CA covers 11.9 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Nimitz Freeway, Route 80. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6 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 $2.74 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 11.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between San Francisco, CA and Chinatown, CA, road signs point toward San Jose, Broadway and Alameda.
Yes. Nearby national parks include San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Chinatown, CA
More trips to Chinatown, CA
Explore more options from San Francisco, CA or browse trips ending in Chinatown, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.