Skip to main content

Trip from San Leandro, CA to Fremont, CA

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

Drive Time

24m

Distance

18.1 mi

29 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 22m ★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Alameda County, California, United States

San Leandro, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 18.1-mile drive from San Leandro to Fremont, California, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 24 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate I-880, with sections on East 14th Street and Hesperian Boulevard. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $4, this trip offers a quick and efficient transit between two points within the Pacific Coast region. Given its short distance and duration, it’s ideal for a quick errand or connecting to another nearby adventure without needing an overnight stay. The profile suggests a highway-focused experience, making it a predictable and uncomplicated journey.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 24m. Total distance: 18.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

Expect a drive that is predominantly highway-focused, with 69% of the journey utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you’ll encounter is 10.9 miles on I-880, offering a period of consistent speed. While the route is largely defined by interstate travel, it incorporates segments of local thoroughfares like East 14th Street and Hesperian Boulevard, which may offer a slight shift in pace and environment. This blend means you’ll experience periods of steady highway cruising punctuated by transitions onto surface streets.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 880 is the longest continuous segment at about 10.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and East 14th Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.6 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 18.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
3.6 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the ramp toward I 880 South: San Jose

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes. Toward I 880 South: San Jose
6
8.2 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 880

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
6
10.6 mi into trip | ~14m in | I 880

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
8
16.2 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont

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 17 Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
6
16.5 mi into trip | ~21m in

Turn left

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 880 10.9 mi 12m
East 14th Street 1.9 mi 3m
Hesperian Boulevard 1.6 mi 2m
Nimitz Freeway 1.6 mi 1m
Mowry Avenue 1.6 mi 3m
West Estudillo Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 880 — 10.9 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between San Leandro, CA and Fremont, CA.

1

Start on West Estudillo Avenue

61 ft · 5 sec · West Estudillo Avenue
2

Turn right onto CA 185

1.0 mi · 1 min · East 14th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3

Turn slight left onto CA 185

1.0 mi · 1 min · East 14th Street
4

Turn slight right onto Hesperian Boulevard

1.6 mi · 2 min · Hesperian Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 19 sec
Toward I 880 South: San Jose Use the straight / left lanes.
6

Merge onto I 880

1.6 mi · 1 min · Nimitz Freeway
7

Take the exit onto I 880

2.9 mi · 3 min · I 880
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

2.4 mi · 2 min · I 880
Use the slight left lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto I 880

5.6 mi · 6 min · I 880
Use the slight left lane.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Exit 17 Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Turn left

116 ft · 3 sec
Use the left lane.
12

Turn straight onto Mowry Avenue

0.1 mi · 10 sec · Mowry Avenue
13

Continue on Mowry Avenue

1.5 mi · 2 min · Mowry Avenue
14

Arrive at destination

Mowry Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.16 one way

$8.32 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $4.29 $8.57
premium $6.18 $4.40 $8.80
diesel $5.61 $4.00 $7.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 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 5.4 0 $1.90 $0.87
Efficient EV 4.5 0 $1.58 $0.72
EV Truck/SUV 7.2 0 $2.53 $1.16

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 Leandro, CA

Late night in San Leandro on Friday

Local time

4:35 AM

PDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Fremont, CA

Late night in Fremont on Friday

Local time

4:35 AM

PDT

Current temp

67°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

18 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

24m 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 Leandro, CA to Fremont, CA covers 18.1 miles and takes about 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 880, East 14th Street, Hesperian Boulevard. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 9 miles from San Leandro, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.16 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 9 decision points packed into just 18.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.

The main spots that need attention: at 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from San Leandro, CA to Fremont, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from San Leandro, CA or browse trips ending in Fremont, CA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.