Origin
San Francisco, CA
Evening in San Francisco on Friday
Local time
7:10 PM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to Aliso Viejo, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
8h 6m
Distance
432.9 mi
697 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$100
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
7h 58m
★
6 AM
8h 6m
8 AM
8h 23m
10 AM
8h 12m
12 PM
8h 11m
3 PM
8h 13m
5 PM
8h 22m
8 PM
8h 1m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Aliso Viejo, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from San Francisco, CA to Aliso Viejo, CA covers 432.9 miles and takes about 8h 6m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on 11th Street, Bryant Street, I 80 East for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $99.50 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
216.5 miles from San Francisco, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 3m into the drive .
About the Cities
Starting in San Francisco, CA
Full guide →The centerpiece of the Bay Area, San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the world, and with good reason. The cultural center of northern California, San Francisco is renowned for its mixture of scenic beauty and unique culture that makes it one of the most vibrant and desirable cities in the nation, if not the world. Sandwiched between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on a small square of land seven miles (11 km) on each side, San Francisco offers a wealth of treasures for the visitor, from the windswept and often foggy bay to the steep hills lined with Victorian homes that overlook the spectacular scenery of the city.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
8h 6m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 8h 6m drive with frequent turns across 432.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 35 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
11th Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 6m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Francisco, CA to Aliso Viejo, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 11th Street | — | — |
| Bryant Street | — | — |
| I 80 East | — | — |
| Route 80 | — | — |
| Dwight D | — | — |
| I 580 East | — | — |
| MacArthur Freeway | — | — |
| Arthur H | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
11th Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and Aliso Viejo, CA.
1
Start on Market Street
312 ft
·
8 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 left toward I 80 East: Oakland
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
I 80 East: Oakland
5
Merge slight right onto Route 80
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 80
6
Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
5.8 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
7
Take the exit slight right toward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-Stockton
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-Stockton
8
Merge slight left onto MacArthur Freeway
16 mi
·
18 min
·
MacArthur Freeway
9
Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
10
Keep slight right to continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
11
Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
11 mi
·
12 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
12
Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
13
Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway
224 mi
·
4 hr
·
Westside Freeway
14
Keep slight right
58 mi
·
1 hr 6 min
15
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Golden State Freeway
16
Keep slight right to continue on I 405 South
0.3 mi
·
18 sec
·
I 405 South
17
Keep slight left
25 mi
·
29 min
18
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Golden State Freeway
19
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
8.7 mi
·
10 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
20
Take the exit slight right toward I 605 North, I 605 South: San Gabriel River Freeway
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
I 605 North, I 605 South: San Gabriel River Freeway
21
Keep slight right to continue on I 605 South
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
I 605 South
22
Keep slight left to continue on I 605 South: San Gabriel River Freeway
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
I 605 South: San Gabriel River Freeway
23
Merge slight left onto San Gabriel River Freeway
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
San Gabriel River Freeway
24
Keep slight right to continue on San Gabriel River Freeway
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
San Gabriel River Freeway
25
Keep left to continue on I 405 South, CA 22 East: Garden Grove
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
I 405 South, CA 22 East: Garden Grove
26
Merge slight left onto San Diego Freeway
141 ft
·
2 sec
·
San Diego Freeway
27
Keep slight right to continue on San Diego Freeway
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
San Diego Freeway
28
Keep slight left to continue on San Diego Freeway
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
·
San Diego Freeway
29
Keep slight left
10 mi
·
11 min
30
Keep slight right to continue on Corona Del Mar Freeway
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Corona Del Mar Freeway
31
Continue on San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
9.3 mi
·
10 min
·
San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
32
Take the exit slight right toward Aliso Creek Road
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
Aliso Creek Road
33
Turn right onto Aliso Creek Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Aliso Creek Road
34
Turn right onto Aliso Viejo Parkway
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Aliso Viejo Parkway
35
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 216.5 miles from San Francisco, CA, or about 4h 3m into the drive.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 95 miles or 1h 46m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 216.5 miles or 4h 3m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 216.5 miles or 4h 3m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 58m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Aliso Viejo, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from San Francisco, CA
Aim for roughly 216 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Aliso Viejo, CA
Aim for roughly 216 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 95 miles from San Francisco, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 216.5 mi from San Francisco, CA · 4h 3m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
216 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Bakersfield, CAOvernight Options
Night 1
216 mi · about 4.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Bakersfield, CA after about 216 miles or 4.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 95 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 216.5 miles from San Francisco, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 216 miles or 4.1 hours on the road.
Arriving in Aliso Viejo, CA
The final approach into Aliso Viejo, 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 Aliso Viejo, CA.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Aliso Viejo, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$99.50 one way
$199.00 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
152 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $102.53 | $205.07 |
| premium | $6.18 | $105.28 | $210.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $95.58 | $191.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$100
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$230–$340
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 151.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $45 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 129.9 | 1 | $45.45 | $20.78 |
| Efficient EV | 108.2 | 1 | $37.88 | $17.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 173.2 | 2 | $60.61 | $27.71 |
Gas CO2
151 kg
EV CO2
51 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Aliso Viejo, CA
Evening in Aliso Viejo on Friday
Local time
7:10 PM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
8h 6m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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 Aliso Viejo, CA covers 432.9 miles and takes about 8h 6m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 11th Street, Bryant Street, I 80 East. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 216 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 216.5 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 $99.50 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 6m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Francisco, CA to Aliso Viejo, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from San Francisco, CA to Aliso Viejo, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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