Origin
San Francisco, CA
Late night in San Francisco on Friday
Local time
3:37 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to Saranap, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
23.9 mi
38 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Saranap, CA
Efrem Efre
Trip Overview
This quick 23.9-mile journey from San Francisco to Saranap, California, is designed for a single day, taking about 35 minutes to complete. You'll navigate primarily via the Caldecott Tunnel, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, and Grove Shafter Freeway, with a modest 21% of the drive on highways. Given the short duration and estimated fuel cost of $5, this trip is ideal for a spontaneous excursion rather than an overnight stay. It's a straightforward drive within the Pacific Coast region, perfect for a quick transition between areas.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 23.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m 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 'turn-heavy local drive' profile for this 23.9-mile route. While 21% of the journey involves highway driving, the character is largely defined by local road navigation. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.7 miles, occurring on the Caldecott Tunnel segment, suggesting a need for attention to turns and local traffic patterns. This isn't a high-speed interstate cruise; instead, anticipate a more engaged driving experience with frequent changes in direction as you move from freeway to local streets.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Caldecott Tunnel is the longest continuous segment at about 7.7 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
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 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
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...
8
9.6 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward CA 24 East: Berkeley, Walnut Creek
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 19B
Toward CA 24 East: Berkeley, Walnut Creek
7
21.8 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward Pleasant Hill Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 14
Toward Pleasant Hill Road
9
21.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Pleasant Hill Road South, Rossmoor
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Pleasant Hill Road South, Rossmoor
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 Saranap, CA, road signs point toward Hayward-Stockton, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill Road South and Rossmoor.
Hayward-Stockton
8 mi in
|
~13m
Walnut Creek
9.6 mi in
|
~15m
Pleasant Hill Road South
21.9 mi in
|
~31m
Rossmoor
21.9 mi in
|
~31m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Caldecott Tunnel | 7.7 mi | 9m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 5.8 mi | 8m |
| Grove Shafter Freeway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Olympic Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Route 80 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Pleasant Hill Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| MacArthur Freeway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| 11th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Caldecott Tunnel
— 7.7 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Saranap, 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
0.6 mi
·
42 sec
·
MacArthur Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19B
Toward CA 24 East: Berkeley, Walnut Creek
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward CA 24 East: Walnut Creek
11
Merge onto CA 24
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Grove Shafter Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 24
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Grove Shafter Freeway
13
Continue on CA 24
7.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Caldecott Tunnel
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Exit 14
Toward Pleasant Hill Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward Pleasant Hill Road South, Rossmoor
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn right onto Pleasant Hill Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Pleasant Hill Road
Use the right lane.
17
Enter roundabout onto Olympic Boulevard
167 ft
·
3 sec
·
Olympic Boulevard
18
Continue on Olympic Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Olympic Boulevard
Use the left / uturn / straight lanes.
19
Turn right onto Panoramic Way
197 ft
·
14 sec
·
Panoramic Way
20
Turn left
120 ft
·
8 sec
21
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.49 one way
$10.99 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.66 | $11.32 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.81 | $11.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Saranap, CA
Late night in Saranap on Friday
Local time
3:37 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°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
8 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
35m 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 Saranap, CA covers 23.9 miles and takes about 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Caldecott Tunnel, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Grove Shafter Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.9 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 $5.49 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 17 decision points packed into just 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between San Francisco, CA and Saranap, CA, road signs point toward Hayward-Stockton, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill Road South and Rossmoor.
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.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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