Origin
San Francisco, CA
Evening in San Francisco on Friday
Local time
5:23 PM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
17.3 mi
28 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Richmond, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, CA covers 17.3 miles and takes about 26m 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, John T. Knox Freeway, Eastshore Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.4 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.98 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Richmond, CA
Full guide →Though it was a booming industrial center during World War II, the subsequent decades were not kind to Richmond, California. After the war, deindustrialization hit hard. The shipyards closed. Desperation set in. A reputation for violent crime kept visitors away. But in the 21st century crime has gone down, and a revitalization has begun. Richmond still isn't on any tourism shortlists, but its historic sites, nature, and strategic location between the East Bay and Marin County do attract some interest to this often-overlooked part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Areas of note include the charming and historic Point Richmond neighborhood on the bay in the southwest of Richmond, as well as the World War II sites at the southern edge of the city. This article also covers Richmond's near-enclave of San Pablo.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 17.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, CA covers 17.3 miles and takes about 26m, 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 15 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 6.4 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 8.7 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 11 decision points packed into just 17.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
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
9
12.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
8
16.1 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward Marina Bay Parkway, South 23rd Street
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 10A
Toward Marina Bay Parkway, South 23rd Street
6
16.4 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
South 23rd Street
Turn right onto South 23rd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
6
17.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
Macdonald Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Macdonald Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
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 Richmond, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Rafael along the way.
San Rafael
12.6 mi in
|
~19m
|
via I 580
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6.4 mi | 9m |
| John T. Knox Freeway | 3.5 mi | 3m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Route 80 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South 23rd Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| 11th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Bryant Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Nimitz Freeway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 6.4 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Richmond, 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 right at fork onto I 580
3.5 mi
·
3 min
·
John T. Knox Freeway
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 10A
Toward Marina Bay Parkway, South 23rd Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto South 23rd Street
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
South 23rd Street
Use the left / right lanes.
13
Turn left
280 ft
·
22 sec
14
At end of road, turn right onto Macdonald Avenue
105 ft
·
2 sec
·
Macdonald Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Macdonald Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.98 one way
$7.95 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.10 | $8.20 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.21 | $8.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.82 | $7.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.82 | $0.83 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.11 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Richmond, CA
Evening in Richmond on Friday
Local time
5:23 PM
PDT
Current temp
47°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
3 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
26m 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 Richmond, CA covers 17.3 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, John T. Knox Freeway, Eastshore Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.6 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 $3.98 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 11 decision points packed into just 17.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
The main spots that need attention: at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, CA, road signs begin pointing toward San Rafael along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.
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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