Origin
San Francisco, CA
Morning in San Francisco on Monday
Local time
10:51 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to Fairfield, CA
Drive Time
1h
Distance
46.9 mi
75 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 56m
★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 5m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Abhishek Navlakha
Fairfield, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
The drive from San Francisco, CA to Fairfield, CA covers 46.9 miles and takes about 1h 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, Eastshore Freeway, Linus F. Claeys Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.9 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
0 planned breaks
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
23.4 miles from San Francisco, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 31m into the drive .
Drive Character
The drive from San Francisco, CA to Fairfield, CA covers 46.9 miles and takes about 1h, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 19 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 20.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in.
Route Complexity
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
This is a demanding drive. With 11 significant decision points across 46.9 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 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles (I 80 / Eastshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 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
6
8.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward I 80 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 80 East
8
12.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I 80 / Eastshore Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 / Eastshore Freeway toward I 80 East: Vallejo, Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 80 East: Vallejo, Sacramento
7
42.5 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
CA 12
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 12 toward CA 12 East: Rio Vista
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 12 East: Rio Vista
6
46.3 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
US 40 Historic / Texas Street
Turn right onto US 40 Historic / Texas Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Towns Along This Route
On the drive from San Francisco, CA to Fairfield, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Sacramento along the way.
Sacramento
12.6 mi in
|
~19m
|
via I 80
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 20.9 mi | 26m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 14.3 mi | 16m |
| Linus F. Claeys Freeway | 3.5 mi | 3m |
| CA 12 | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Carquinez Bridge | 1 mi | 1m |
| Route 80 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| 11th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 20.9 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Fairfield, 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
6.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 80 East
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto I 880
407 ft
·
6 sec
·
Nimitz Freeway
9
Continue on I 80; I 580
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
7.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Toward I 80 East: Vallejo, Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 80
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Exit 21
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Continue on I 80
3.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Linus F. Claeys Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 80
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Eastshore Freeway
14
Continue on I 80
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Carquinez Bridge
15
Continue on I 80
14 mi
·
16 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
16
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 12
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
CA 12
Toward CA 12 East: Rio Vista
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
18
Turn right onto US 40 Historic
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Texas Street
Use the right lane.
19
Arrive at destination
US 40 Historic
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 23.4 miles from San Francisco, CA, or about 31m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 20.9 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 46.9 miles or 1h in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 23.4 miles or 31m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 51m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fairfield, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from San Francisco, CA
This is one driving day of about 46.9 miles and 1h.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from San Francisco, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for about 20.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 23.4 mi from San Francisco, CA · 31m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 46.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.4 miles from San Francisco, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Fairfield, CA
The final approach into Fairfield, 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 Fairfield, CA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.86 one way
$21.72 round trip
$5.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.07 | $11.20 | $22.40 |
| premium | $6.24 | $11.53 | $23.05 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $10.42 | $20.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.92 | $2.25 |
| Efficient EV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.10 | $1.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.57 | $3.00 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Fairfield, CA
Morning in Fairfield on Monday
Local time
10:51 AM
PDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Along the Route
46°F
Richmond, CA
23 mi in
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.
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
22 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 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 Fairfield, CA covers 46.9 miles and takes about 1h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Eastshore Freeway, Linus F. Claeys Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 23.4 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 $10.86 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 demanding drive. With 11 significant decision points across 46.9 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 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles (I 80 / Eastshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from San Francisco, CA to Fairfield, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Sacramento along the way.
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