Los Angeles to San Francisco in One Day

General Considerations for Driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco

This road trip begins at the intersection of I-10 and I-405 in Los Angeles and ends at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

If you have a choice, start in L.A. and end in San Francisco to avoid afternoon traffic. If you go north to south, leave San Francisco as early as you can. You'll avoid the morning rush as city residents head to Silicon Valley and have the best chance of getting to Los Angeles before backups begin.

Routes to Drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco

There are many ways to go, with even more interesting side routes. These are most popular:

• Los Angeles to San Francisco on US 101 (black route): About 430 miles and taking about 1.5 hours longer than I-5, this is our favorite route, more interesting than I-5 and faster than CA 1, following the coast part way. Read the mile-by-mile guide to discover what there is to see and do along Highway 101.

• Coastal Route (blue route): It's possible, albeit difficult to take the coastal route between the two cities in a day, leaving US 101 north of San Luis Obispo to follow CA 1 along the Pacific Coast. It's a few miles longer than 101, but requires 9 to 10 hours of driving, some of it on two-lane, winding roads. Read the mile-by-mile guide to discover what there is to see and do on the coastal route.

  If this is your once-in-a-lifetime trip and you'll never see the scenic Big Sur coast if you don't do it now, get a good night's sleep, get up early and go for it. You will have little time for stops, but the landscape is beautiful. However, if you can find just one more day to make the trip, you'll be glad you did.

• Fastest Route (green route): If you just want to get there fast, take I-405 and I-5 toward Sacramento, then I-580 and I-80 toward San Francisco. This is the fastest route, but also the least interesting. This 382-mile trip (city center to city center) will take about six hours.

• The Back Way: It's too far for one day, but it's the most beautiful and interesting way to get from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Take I-405 north to CA 14, connect to US 395 north and follow it up the eastern side of the mountains to Lee Vining and Mono Lake. When Tioga Pass is open, cross Yosemite National Park and head west to San Francisco. For optimum enjoyment, allow at least two full days.

Available daylight will vary by season, with about 10 hours in December-January and close to 15 hours in June-July.