Origin
San Francisco, CA
Morning in San Francisco on Saturday
Local time
11:03 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Francisco, CA to San Rafael, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
18.7 mi
30 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Rafael, CA
David McElwee
Trip Overview
The drive from San Francisco, CA to San Rafael, CA covers 18.7 miles and takes about 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Redwood Highway, Presidio Parkway, Golden Gate Bridge for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.6 miles on Redwood Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.30 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Highway | 10.6 mi | 14m |
| Presidio Parkway | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Golden Gate Bridge | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Webster Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Divisadero Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Fourth Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| California Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Fell Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Redwood Highway
— 10.6 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco, CA and San Rafael, CA.
1
Start on Market Street
41 ft
·
6 sec
·
Market Street
2
Turn sharp right onto US 101
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
South Van Ness Avenue
3
Turn right onto Otis Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Otis Street
4
Turn right onto Gough Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Gough Street
Use the right lane.
5
Turn right onto Market Street
29 ft
·
1 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork
497 ft
·
10 sec
7
Continue on Franklin Street
0.1 mi
·
37 sec
·
Franklin Street
8
Turn left onto Fell Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Fell Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
9
Turn right onto Webster Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Webster Street
10
Turn left onto California Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
California Street
11
Turn right onto Divisadero Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Divisadero Street
12
Turn left onto US 101
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Lombard Street
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on US 101
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Richardson Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Continue on US 101
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Presidio Parkway
Use the straight lane.
15
Continue on US 101
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden Gate Bridge
16
Continue on US 101; CA 1
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 452
Toward Central San Rafael
Use the slight right lane.
18
Continue on Irwin Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Irwin Street
Use the straight lane.
19
Turn left onto Fourth Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Fourth Street
Use the left lane.
20
Arrive at destination
Fourth Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 17.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue
Turn sharp right onto US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Gough Street
Turn right onto Gough Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Market Street
Turn right onto Market Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Fell Street
Turn left onto Fell Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
17.7 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward Central San Rafael
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 452
Toward Central San Rafael
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.30 one way
$8.60 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.43 | $8.86 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.55 | $9.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.13 | $8.26 |
Estimated Tolls: $9.00
Golden Gate Bridge
$9.00
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$9
Total
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.62 | $1.20 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
San Rafael, CA
Morning in San Rafael on Saturday
Local time
11:03 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°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
15 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
33m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
18.7 mi in 33m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.6 mi on Redwood Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 early in the drive near US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 18.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.3 miles (Gough Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (Market Street): Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Arriving in San Rafael, CA
Full guide →Historically home to one of California's original Spanish missions, San Rafael is now a mid-sized Bay Area commuter town with beautiful hills, peaceful nature, interesting architecture, and a bustling downtown area centered around 4th Street. San Rafael is the cultural and political center of Marin County, and offers its own set of attractions as well as easy access to other parts of the county.
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 33m. Total distance: 18.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.6 miles on Redwood Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $9.00 in tolls one way, starting with Golden Gate Bridge. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at San Rafael, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 101 / South Van Ness Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.3 miles (Gough Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (Market Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Muir Woods National Monument and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Rafael, CA before heading back.
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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