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Trip from San Francisco, CA to Forestville, CA

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

1h 28m

Distance

62.2 mi

100 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$14

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 22m ★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 42m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 32m
3 PM
1h 34m
5 PM
1h 42m
8 PM
1h 25m

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 Forestville, CA, CA

Forestville, CA

Dominik Gryzbon

Trip Overview

The drive from San Francisco, CA to Forestville, CA covers 62.2 miles and takes about 1h 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Redwood Highway, Gravenstein Highway, Gravenstein Highway North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 39.8 miles on Redwood Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.30 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 28m. Total distance: 62.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 28m 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 1h 28m drive with frequent turns across 62.2 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Redwood Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 39.8 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 early in the drive near US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 62.2 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.3 miles (Gough Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (Market Street): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue

Turn sharp right onto US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

6
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | Gough Street

Turn right onto Gough Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Market Street

Turn right onto Market Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | Fell Street

Turn left onto Fell Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
8
47 mi into trip | ~1h 5m in | CA 116

Take the exit onto CA 116 toward CA 116 West: Sebastopol, Downtown Cotati

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 481B Toward CA 116 West: Sebastopol, Downtown Cotati

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from San Francisco, CA to Forestville, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Cotati along the way.

Cotati

47 mi in | ~1h 5m | via CA 116

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Redwood Highway 39.8 mi 48m
Gravenstein Highway 7.7 mi 11m
Gravenstein Highway North 5.7 mi 8m
Presidio Parkway 1.8 mi 3m
Golden Gate Bridge 1.7 mi 2m
Webster Street 1 mi 2m
Divisadero Street 0.8 mi 1m
Petaluma Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Redwood Highway — 39.8 mi, about 48m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Forestville, CA.

1

Start on Market Street

41 ft · 6 sec · Market Street
2

Turn sharp right onto US 101

0.1 mi · 27 sec · South Van Ness Avenue
3

Turn right onto Otis Street

0.1 mi · 16 sec · Otis Street
4

Turn right onto Gough Street

0.1 mi · 16 sec · Gough Street
Use the right lane.
5

Turn right onto Market Street

29 ft · 1 sec · Market Street
Use the right lane.
6

Keep slight left at fork

497 ft · 10 sec
7

Continue on Franklin Street

0.1 mi · 37 sec · Franklin Street
8

Turn left onto Fell Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Fell Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
9

Turn right onto Webster Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · Webster Street
10

Turn left onto California Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · California Street
11

Turn right onto Divisadero Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · Divisadero Street
12

Turn left onto US 101

0.1 mi · 29 sec · Lombard Street
Use the left lane.
13

Continue on US 101

0.2 mi · 40 sec · Richardson Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14

Continue on US 101

1.8 mi · 3 min · Presidio Parkway
Use the straight lane.
15

Continue on US 101

1.7 mi · 2 min · Golden Gate Bridge
16

Continue on US 101; CA 1

40 mi · 48 min · Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Take the exit onto CA 116

0.3 mi · 44 sec · CA 116
Exit 481B Toward CA 116 West: Sebastopol, Downtown Cotati Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Continue on CA 116

7.7 mi · 11 min · Gravenstein Highway
Use the left lane.
19

Continue on CA 116

0.7 mi · 1 min · Petaluma Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
20

Turn left onto CA 116

435 ft · 11 sec · McKinley Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
21

Turn right onto CA 116

0.2 mi · 17 sec · North Main Street
22

Turn slight left onto CA 116

0.5 mi · 48 sec · Healdsburg Avenue
23

Continue on CA 116

5.7 mi · 8 min · Gravenstein Highway North
24

Continue on CA 116

394 ft · 12 sec · Front Street
25

Turn left onto Forestville Street

39 ft · 1 sec · Forestville Street
26

Arrive at destination

Forestville Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 31.1 mi from San Francisco, CA · 45m into the drive

Downtown San Rafael, CA, CA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

San Rafael, CA

31 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

Corte Madera, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

San Rafael, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 31.1 miles from San Francisco, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Forestville, CA

The final approach into Forestville, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$14.30 one way

$28.59 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $14.73 $29.46
premium $6.18 $15.13 $30.25
diesel $5.61 $13.73 $27.47

Estimated Tolls: $9.00

Golden Gate Bridge $9.00

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$14

Tolls

$9

Total

$23

Estimated CO2 emission: 21.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 18.7 0 $6.53 $2.99
Efficient EV 15.6 0 $5.44 $2.49
EV Truck/SUV 24.9 0 $8.71 $3.98

Gas CO2

22 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (68% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

San Francisco, CA

Afternoon in San Francisco on Thursday

Local time

3:13 PM

PDT

Current temp

70°F

Sunny

N 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 10:43AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Medford OR

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 10:32AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Destination

Forestville, CA

Afternoon in Forestville on Thursday

Local time

3:13 PM

PDT

Current temp

--

Unavailable

59°F

San Rafael, CA

31 mi in

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Road read

1h 28m on the road

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from San Francisco, CA to Forestville, CA covers 62.2 miles and takes about 1h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Redwood Highway, Gravenstein Highway, Gravenstein Highway North. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 31.1 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 $14.30 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 62.2 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.3 miles (Gough Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (Market Street): Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from San Francisco, CA to Forestville, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Cotati along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Muir Woods National Monument and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Forestville, CA to San Francisco, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

61.7 mi 1h 27m

Explore more options from San Francisco, CA or browse trips ending in Forestville, CA.

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