How far is Clearlake, CA from San Diego, CA?
The driving distance from Clearlake, CA to San Diego, CA is about 609.9 miles (981.6 km), with a travel time of about 09h 31m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 528.5 miles (850.6 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 19h 02m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT.
Reverse, save, or send this route
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
Gas Cost Calculator
Leave and Arrive Planner
Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.
Drive time stays fixed at 09h 31m.
Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.
Halfway Point
A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.
Census-designated place in Kings County, California
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Mostly Sunny
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between Clearlake and San Diego.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clearlake and San Diego.
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1
Start on Duncan Avenue
850 ft · 37 sec · Duncan Avenue
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2
Continue on Lincoln Avenue
651 ft · 30 sec · Lincoln Avenue
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3
Turn right onto Polk Avenue
101 m · 18 sec · Polk Avenue
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4
Turn right
3.6 mi · 5 min
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5
Continue straight
10.4 mi · 16 min
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6
Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward the route
15 m · 1 sec
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7
Exit the roundabout
21.6 mi · 32 min
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8
Turn left onto Saint Helena Highway
6.8 mi · 8 min · Saint Helena Highway
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9
Continue on Main Street
2.4 mi · 3 min · Main Street
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10
Continue on Saint Helena Highway South
21.7 mi · 26 min · Saint Helena Highway South
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11
Continue on Napa–Vallejo Highway
1.3 mi · 1 min · Napa–Vallejo Highway
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12
Continue on Broadway Street
4 mi · 5 min · Broadway Street
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13
Continue on Sonoma Boulevard
1.8 mi · 2 min · Sonoma Boulevard
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14
Continue on Sonoma Boulevard
1.1 mi · 2 min · Sonoma Boulevard
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15
Turn left onto Redwood Street
1786 ft · 45 sec · Redwood Street
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16
Turn right onto Broadway Street
1.1 mi · 2 min · Broadway Street
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17
Turn slight left onto Alameda Street
1.1 km · 2 min · Alameda Street
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18
Turn left onto Curtola Parkway
7.1 mi · 9 min · Curtola Parkway
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19
Keep slight left to continue on I 680 South: Martinez, San Jose
1.1 km · 47 sec
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20
Continue on Benicia-Martinez Bridge
8 mi · 9 min · Benicia-Martinez Bridge
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21
Keep slight right to continue on Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
4.8 mi · 6 min · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
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22
Continue on Donald D Doyle Highway
1.4 mi · 2 min · Donald D Doyle Highway
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23
Keep slight right to continue on Donald D Doyle Highway
13.4 mi · 16 min · Donald D Doyle Highway
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24
Take the exit slight right toward I 580 East: Livermore, Stockton
1362 ft · 33 sec
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25
Keep slight left to continue on I 580 East: Livermore, Stockton
1.1 km · 1 min
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26
Keep slight left to continue on I 580: Stockton
1581 ft · 39 sec
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27
Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
1.4 mi · 2 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
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28
Keep slight right to continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
17.8 mi · 21 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
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29
Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
11.1 mi · 12 min · William Elton Brown Freeway
-
30
Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
5.9 mi · 6 min · William Elton Brown Freeway
-
31
Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway
224.4 mi · 4 hr · Westside Freeway
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32
Keep slight right
58.4 mi · 1 hr 7 min
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33
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
4.1 mi · 5 min · Golden State Freeway
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34
Keep slight right to continue on I 405 South
1354 ft · 18 sec
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35
Keep slight left
24.7 mi · 29 min
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36
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
1.3 mi · 2 min · Golden State Freeway
-
37
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
25.7 mi · 30 min · Santa Ana Freeway
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38
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
1241 ft · 16 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
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39
Take the exit slight right toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
1.3 km · 57 sec
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40
Keep slight left
788 ft · 10 sec
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41
Keep slight left to continue on I 5 South
981 ft · 13 sec
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42
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
1.3 km · 54 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
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43
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
1.2 km · 52 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
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44
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
1.2 mi · 1 min · Santa Ana Freeway
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45
Take the exit slight right toward Newport Avenue
1.2 km · 1 min
-
46
Turn right onto Newport Avenue
1943 ft · 44 sec · Newport Avenue
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47
Turn left onto Walnut Avenue
2.2 mi · 4 min · Walnut Avenue
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48
Turn left onto Jamboree Road
2595 ft · 38 sec · Jamboree Road
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49
Take the exit slight right toward I 5 South
1479 ft · 21 sec
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50
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
5.5 mi · 6 min · Santa Ana Freeway
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51
Keep slight left to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
1.3 km · 56 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
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52
Merge slight right onto San Diego Freeway
76.5 mi · 1 hr 29 min · San Diego Freeway
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53
Take the exit slight right toward Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd Avenue
1164 ft · 28 sec
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54
Keep slight right to continue on Front Street, Civic Center
592 ft · 15 sec
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55
Continue on Front Street
2662 ft · 2 min · Front Street
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56
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · Front Street
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between Clearlake and San Diego.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
Westside Freeway
Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway
224 mi · 04h 00m
Route Summary
A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.
Better with a longer stop
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
Sunny leaving Clearlake and Mostly Sunny near San Diego.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from Clearlake to San Diego?
The road trip is about 609.9 miles (981.6 km) and usually takes 09h 31m in normal driving conditions.
Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
What is the halfway point on this route?
Kettleman City is a useful midpoint, sitting about 290.5 miles from Clearlake and 319.5 miles from San Diego.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 528.5 miles (850.6 km), while the road route adds roughly 81.4 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.
When is the best time to leave for this route?
A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
How much will gas cost for this route?
Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $124.15 one way or $248.30 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 191.2 kg one way.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Sunny around Clearlake and Mostly Sunny near San Diego.
Stop Ideas Near Kettleman City
Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.
Transit and Meeting Points
Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Kettleman City.
Kettleman City, California
Lemoore, California
Corcoran station
Lemoore (Naval Air Station), California
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between Clearlake and San Diego. Straight-line distance: 528.54 mi (850.61 km).
#1 Clearlake
City in California
| Population | 15,179 |
| Coordinates | 38.9582300, -122.6263700 |
| Altitude | 432 |
| Country | United States |
#2 San Diego
The eighth most populous city in the United States and the center of the San Diego metropolitan area.
| Population | 1,422,420 |
| Coordinates | 32.7157100, -117.1647200 |
| Altitude | 20 |
| Country | United States |
End: Front Street (-117.164717, 32.71571)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 982 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 20h 19m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 15h 14m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 12h 11m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 10h 09m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 08h 42m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 07h 36m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $5.77 | $124.15 | $248.30 |
| Mid-grade | $6.07 | $130.54 | $261.08 |
| Premium | $6.24 | $134.35 | $268.70 |
| Diesel | $7.57 | $162.84 | $325.68 |
Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.
Prices in California · May 22, 2026
Distance to Other Cities
Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.