Origin
Stockton, CA
Late night in Stockton on Saturday
Local time
3:58 AM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Stockton, 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
1h 51m
Distance
92.9 mi
150 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$21
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 44m
★
6 AM
1h 52m
8 AM
2h 8m
10 AM
1h 58m
12 PM
1h 56m
3 PM
1h 58m
5 PM
2h 7m
8 PM
1h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Stockton, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Rafael, CA
David McElwee
Trip Overview
The drive from Stockton, CA to San Rafael, CA covers 92.9 miles and takes about 1h 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Center Street, I 5 South, Westside Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $21.35 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
46.5 miles from Stockton, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 55m into the drive .
About the Cities
Starting in Stockton, CA
Full guide →Founded 1849
Stockton is a city in the San Joaquin Valley in northern California. Sitting on the San Joaquin Delta, Stockton is the world's most inland natural port and used to be a major port city. One of the larger cities along I-5 through the Central Valley, it is a convenient stop and offers a variety of restaurants and accommodations for road-trippers. There are several shopping centers and movie theaters and one art museum but few major attractions.
Top landmarks
- • Haggin Museum — art museum in Stockton, California
- • USCGC Fir — Lighthouse tender
- • USS Lucid — 1953 Aggressive-class minesweeper
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 1h 51m. Total distance: 92.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 51m drive with frequent turns across 92.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Center 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 Stockton, CA to San Rafael, CA is easy. At 1h 51m 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 Stockton, CA to San Rafael, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Center Street | — | — |
| I 5 South | — | — |
| Westside Freeway | — | — |
| Robert T | — | — |
| Arthur H | — | — |
| MacArthur Freeway | — | — |
| Eastshore Freeway | — | — |
| John T | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
North Center Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Stockton, CA and San Rafael, CA.
1
Start on East Fremont Street
502 ft
·
31 sec
·
East Fremont Street
2
Turn left onto North Center Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Center Street
3
Take the ramp slight right
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
4
Keep slight left to continue on I 5 South
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
I 5 South
5
Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Westside Freeway
6
Keep slight right to continue on Robert T. Monagan Freeway
14 mi
·
15 min
·
Robert T. Monagan Freeway
7
Continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
8
Keep slight right to continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
9
Keep slight right to continue on MacArthur Freeway
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
MacArthur Freeway
10
Keep slight left to continue on MacArthur Freeway
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
MacArthur Freeway
11
Continue on Eastshore Freeway
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
12
Keep slight right to continue on John T. Knox Freeway
13 mi
·
17 min
·
John T. Knox Freeway
13
Keep slight left to continue on US 101 North: San Rafeal
0.7 mi
·
54 sec
·
US 101 North: San Rafeal
14
Merge slight left onto Redwood Highway
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Redwood Highway
15
Take the exit slight right toward Central San Rafael
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Central San Rafael
16
Continue on Irwin Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Irwin Street
17
Turn left onto Fourth Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Fourth Street
18
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 46.5 miles from Stockton, CA, or about 55m 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 20 miles or 24m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 46.5 miles or 55m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near San Rafael, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Stockton, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Stockton, CA
This is one driving day of about 92.9 miles and 1h 51m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Stockton, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 46.5 mi from Stockton, CA · 55m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
46 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 20 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 46.5 miles from Stockton, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in San Rafael, CA
The final approach into San Rafael, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$21.35 one way
$42.70 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
33 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $22.00 | $44.01 |
| premium | $6.18 | $22.59 | $45.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $20.51 | $41.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 32.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 27.9 | 0 | $9.75 | $4.46 |
| Efficient EV | 23.2 | 0 | $8.13 | $3.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 37.2 | 0 | $13.01 | $5.95 |
Gas CO2
33 kg
EV CO2
11 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.
Destination
San Rafael, CA
Late night in San Rafael on Saturday
Local time
3:58 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°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
10 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
1h 51m 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 Stockton, CA to San Rafael, CA covers 92.9 miles and takes about 1h 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Center Street, I 5 South, Westside Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 46.5 miles from Stockton, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $21.35 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 Stockton, CA to San Rafael, CA is easy. At 1h 51m 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 Stockton, CA to San Rafael, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Stockton, CA to San Rafael, 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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