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Trip from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

26m

Distance

17.3 mi

28 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
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.

consolidated city and county in California, United States

San Francisco, CA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Contra Costa County, California, United States

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 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 $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 (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 26m drive with frequent turns across 17.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 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. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, CA is easy. At 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, 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
Nimitz Freeway
Eastshore Freeway
John T

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 Richmond, 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

6.4 mi · 9 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
7

Take the exit slight left toward I 80 East

0.6 mi · 45 sec · I 80 East
8

Merge slight right onto Nimitz Freeway

407 ft · 6 sec · Nimitz Freeway
9

Continue on Eastshore Freeway

3.3 mi · 4 min · Eastshore Freeway
10

Keep slight right to continue on John T. Knox Freeway

3.5 mi · 3 min · John T. Knox Freeway
11

Take the exit slight right toward Marina Bay Parkway, South 23rd Street

0.3 mi · 35 sec · Marina Bay Parkway, South 23rd Street
12

Turn right onto South 23rd Street

0.9 mi · 2 min · South 23rd Street
13

Turn left

279 ft · 22 sec
14

At the end of the road, turn right onto Macdonald Avenue

105 ft · 3 sec · Macdonald Avenue
15

Arrive at your destination

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

San Francisco, CA

Afternoon in San Francisco on Friday

Local time

3:46 PM

PDT

Current temp

44°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Richmond, CA

Afternoon in Richmond on Friday

Local time

3:46 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 11th Street, Bryant Street, I 80 East. 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.

The drive from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, CA is easy. At 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, 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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Explore More

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

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.