Origin
South Pasadena, CA
Afternoon in South Pasadena on Saturday
Local time
1:35 PM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Pasadena, CA to Oakland, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6h 1m
Distance
373.4 mi
601 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$86
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
5h 49m
★
6 AM
6h 2m
8 AM
6h 27m
10 AM
6h 11m
12 PM
6h 8m
3 PM
6h 12m
5 PM
6h 26m
8 PM
5h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Pasadena, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Oakland, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from South Pasadena, CA to Oakland, CA covers 373.4 miles and takes about 6h 1m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Mission Street, Fremont Avenue, Columbia Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $85.82 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
186.7 miles from South Pasadena, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Street | — | — |
| Fremont Avenue | — | — |
| Columbia Street | — | — |
| South Pasadena Avenue | — | — |
| Long Beach Freeway | — | — |
| Foothill Freeway | — | — |
| Golden State Freeway | — | — |
| Westside Freeway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Mission Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Pasadena, CA and Oakland, CA.
1
Start on Fair Oaks Avenue
95 ft
·
8 sec
·
Fair Oaks Avenue
2
Turn right onto Mission Street
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Mission Street
3
Turn right onto Fremont Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Fremont Avenue
4
At the end of the road, turn left onto Columbia Street
174 ft
·
7 sec
·
Columbia Street
5
Turn right onto South Pasadena Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Pasadena Avenue
6
Turn slight left onto Long Beach Freeway
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Long Beach Freeway
7
Merge slight left onto Foothill Freeway
25 mi
·
28 min
·
Foothill Freeway
8
Keep slight right
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
9
Merge slight right
1.0 mi
·
1 min
10
Keep slight left
36 mi
·
41 min
11
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
22 mi
·
25 min
·
Golden State Freeway
12
Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway
226 mi
·
4 hr 1 min
·
Westside Freeway
13
Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
16 mi
·
17 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
14
Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
15
Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
16
Keep slight right to continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
17
Keep slight left to continue on Castro Valley Freeway
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Castro Valley Freeway
18
Keep slight left to continue on I 880 North
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
I 880 North
19
Merge slight left onto Nimitz Freeway
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
20
Take the exit slight right toward Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Oak Street, Lakeside Drive
21
Turn right onto Oak Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Oak Street
22
Turn left onto 12th Street
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
12th Street
23
Turn right onto Harrison Street
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Harrison Street
24
Turn left onto 14th Street
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
14th Street
25
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 186.7 miles from South Pasadena, CA, or about 3h 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 82 miles or 1h 19m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 186.7 miles or 3h in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 3m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Oakland, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving South Pasadena, 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 South Pasadena, CA
This is one driving day of about 373.4 miles and 6h 1m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 82 miles from South Pasadena, 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.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
187 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 82 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 186.7 miles from South Pasadena, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$85.82 one way
$171.65 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
131 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $88.44 | $176.88 |
| premium | $6.18 | $90.81 | $181.61 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $82.44 | $164.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$86
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$111–$136
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 130.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $39 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 112 | 1 | $39.21 | $17.92 |
| Efficient EV | 93.4 | 1 | $32.67 | $14.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 149.4 | 1 | $52.28 | $23.90 |
Gas CO2
131 kg
EV CO2
44 kg (66% 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
Oakland, CA
Afternoon in Oakland on Saturday
Local time
1:35 PM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
5 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
6h 1m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
373.4 mi in 6h 1m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: Mission Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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.
The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 1m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from South Pasadena, CA to Oakland, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Starting in South Pasadena, CA
Full guide →South Pasadena is a small city in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California.
Arriving in Oakland, CA
Full guide →Oakland is a port city in the Bay Area of California in the United States. Once an industrial area overshadowed by San Francisco, its larger neighbor to the west, this city of 440,000 people (2020) has begun to step out from under San Francisco's shadow with its notable natural and architectural features and its rise as the multicultural "hipster" city of the Bay Area.
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 6h 1m. Total distance: 373.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 1m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Oakland, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from South Pasadena, CA to Oakland, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.0 hours each way, a round trip means 12.1 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Oakland, CA before the return drive.
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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