Origin
San Francisco, CA
Late night in San Francisco on Saturday
Local time
1:32 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to Buellton, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 42m
Distance
294 mi
473 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$68
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
5h 29m
★
6 AM
5h 43m
8 AM
6h 9m
10 AM
5h 52m
12 PM
5h 49m
3 PM
5h 53m
5 PM
6h 8m
8 PM
5h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Buellton, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
The drive from San Francisco, CA to Buellton, CA covers 294 miles and takes about 5h 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 11th Street, Bryant Street, US 101 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $67.57 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
147 miles from San Francisco, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 51m 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?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 42m. Total distance: 294 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 5h 42m drive with frequent turns across 294 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 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
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 42m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Francisco, CA to Buellton, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 11th Street | — | — |
| Bryant Street | — | — |
| US 101 South | — | — |
| James Lick Freeway | — | — |
| Bayshore Freeway | — | — |
| El Camino Real | — | — |
| Cabrillo Highway | — | — |
| CA 246 | — | — |
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 Buellton, 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
469 ft
·
18 sec
·
Bryant Street
4
Take the ramp slight right toward US 101 South: San Jose
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
US 101 South: San Jose
5
Merge slight right onto James Lick Freeway
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
James Lick Freeway
6
Continue on Bayshore Freeway
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
7
Keep slight left to continue on Bayshore Freeway
25 mi
·
28 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
8
Keep slight left to continue on Bayshore Freeway
49 mi
·
56 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
9
Continue on El Camino Real
10 mi
·
11 min
·
El Camino Real
10
Take the exit slight right
0.7 mi
·
50 sec
11
Merge slight left onto El Camino Real
136 mi
·
2 hr 36 min
·
El Camino Real
12
Continue on Cabrillo Highway
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Cabrillo Highway
13
Continue on El Camino Real
51 mi
·
58 min
·
El Camino Real
14
Take the exit slight right toward CA 246
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
CA 246
15
Turn right
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
16
Turn right
289 ft
·
29 sec
17
Turn sharp left
164 ft
·
12 sec
18
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 147 miles from San Francisco, CA, or about 2h 51m into the drive.
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 65 miles or 1h 15m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 147 miles or 2h 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Buellton, 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 294 miles and 5h 42m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 65 miles from San Francisco, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 147 mi from San Francisco, CA · 2h 51m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
147 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 65 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 147 miles from San Francisco, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Buellton, CA
The final approach into Buellton, 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 Buellton, 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
$67.57 one way
$135.15 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
103 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $69.63 | $139.27 |
| premium | $6.18 | $71.50 | $143.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $64.91 | $129.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$68
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$93–$118
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 102.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $31 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 88.2 | 1 | $30.87 | $14.11 |
| Efficient EV | 73.5 | 0 | $25.72 | $11.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 117.6 | 1 | $41.16 | $18.82 |
Gas CO2
103 kg
EV CO2
34 kg (67% 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
Buellton, CA
Late night in Buellton on Saturday
Local time
1:32 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
47°F
Soledad, CA
147 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
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
5h 42m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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 Buellton, CA covers 294 miles and takes about 5h 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 11th Street, Bryant Street, US 101 South. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 147 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 $67.57 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 5h 42m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Francisco, CA to Buellton, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from San Francisco, CA to Buellton, 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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