Origin
San Leandro, CA
Late night in San Leandro on Saturday
Local time
1:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Leandro, CA to San Francisco, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
21.3 mi
34 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Leandro, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
San Leandro, CA to San Francisco, CA is 21.3 miles and takes about 31 minutes via Nimitz Freeway/Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway/Route 80, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive takes you across the Pacific Coast region, transitioning from a suburban feel to an urban destination. Given the minimal distance and time commitment, this trip is ideal for a quick transit or as part of a larger itinerary. You'll spend most of your time on major roadways, so expect typical traffic patterns for this busy corridor.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 31m. Total distance: 21.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route features a mixed drive, with 56% of it on highways. You'll primarily navigate the Nimitz Freeway and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway before merging onto Route 80. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.2 miles on the Nimitz Freeway. Expect a dynamic driving experience, starting with freeway conditions and potentially encountering more varied traffic as you approach San Francisco. The highway segments offer a faster pace, while the transition into the city will require more attention to local traffic.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Nimitz Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 10.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CA 185 / East 14th Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 21.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CA 185 / East 14th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (CA 61 / Davis Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CA 185 / East 14th Street
Turn left onto CA 185 / East 14th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CA 61 / Davis Street
Turn left onto CA 61 / Davis Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
9.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
11.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward I 80 Toll West: San Francisco, Bay Bridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 46A
Toward I 80 Toll West: San Francisco, Bay Bridg...
8
19.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nimitz Freeway | 10.2 mi | 12m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 5.4 mi | 8m |
| Route 80 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Davis Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Octavia Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Central Freeway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East 14th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Nimitz Freeway
— 10.2 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Leandro, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on West Estudillo Avenue
61 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Estudillo Avenue
2
Turn left onto CA 185
399 ft
·
11 sec
·
East 14th Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto CA 61
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Davis Street
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
5
Merge onto I 880
7.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 46A
Toward I 80 Toll West: San Francisco, Bay Bridge
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
Use the slight left lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
220 ft
·
3 sec
Toward I 80
10
Merge onto I 80
5.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 80
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
Route 80
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12
Continue on I 80
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 80
Exit 2A
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Continue on I 80
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
·
Route 80
Exit 1A
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Merge onto US 101
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Central Freeway
16
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
18
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
19
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.90 one way
$9.79 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.04 | $10.09 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.18 | $10.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.70 | $9.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 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 | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
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 Francisco, CA
Late night in San Francisco on Saturday
Local time
1:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Partly Cloudy
WSW 3 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 7:10PM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
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
1 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
31m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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 San Francisco, CA covers 21.3 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Nimitz Freeway, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Route 80. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.6 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 $4.90 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 16 decision points packed into just 21.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CA 185 / East 14th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (CA 61 / Davis Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from San Leandro, CA to San Francisco, 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 Golden Gate National Recreation Area. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.
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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