How far is Foster City, CA from Los Angeles, CA?

The driving distance from Foster City, CA to Los Angeles, CA is about 376.6 miles (606 km), with a travel time of about 05h 56m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 331 miles (532.7 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 11h 53m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM PDT.
Trip Tools

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.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
376.56 mi
05h 56m
Flight
331.02 mi
532.72 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Foster City.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
331.02 mi
Kilometers
532.72 km
Flight Time
00h 39m

Driving Distance

Road route
376.56 mi
Kilometers
606.01 km
Drive Time
05h 56m

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 05h 56m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Los Angeles
Thu, Apr 23, 6:28 AM PDT
Return by in Foster City
Thu, Apr 23, 12:25 PM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Foster City
2026-04-23T00:31
Arrive Los Angeles
Thu, Apr 23, 6:28 AM PDT
Route Timing
05h 56m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 8:00 AM PDT
Leave early for more breathing room
Arrive between
11:57 AM to 1:57 PM PDT

An early departure helps you fit a real stop into the day without turning the return into a late-night drive.

Leave by
5:06 AM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 04h 00m at the destination.
Back in Foster City
9:00 PM PDT
Early departure recommended

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.

Mid-route stop
Avenal
CA

City in Kings County, California, United States

From Foster City
185.4 mi
02h 58m
To Los Angeles
191.1 mi
02h 58m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
Foster City Weather
CA
Live fallback forecast
68°F
Thursday
Using Belmont as the closest live forecast in the San Mateo County weather hub.

Sunny

Starts
Thu, Apr 23 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
5 to 10 mph W
Destination
74°F
Thursday

Sunny

Starts
Thu, Apr 23 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
0 to 10 mph SSW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Foster City and Los Angeles.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Foster City and Los Angeles.

  1. 1

    Start on Shell Boulevard

    1321 ft · 33 sec · Shell Boulevard

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Metro Center Boulevard

    760 ft · 23 sec · Metro Center Boulevard

  3. 3

    Turn left onto CA 92 East: San Mateo Bridge, Hayward

    1419 ft · 19 sec

  4. 4

    Merge slight left onto J Arthur Younger Freeway

    11.9 mi · 14 min · J Arthur Younger Freeway

  5. 5

    Continue on West Jackson Street

    1.5 mi · 3 min · West Jackson Street

  6. 6

    Continue on Foothill Boulevard

    2503 ft · 1 min · Foothill Boulevard

  7. 7

    Turn right onto A Street

    1.2 km · 1 min · A Street

  8. 8

    Continue on Redwood Road

    2669 ft · 59 sec · Redwood Road

  9. 9

    Take the ramp right toward I 580 East: Stockton

    1451 ft · 37 sec

  10. 10

    Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

    10.4 mi · 12 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

  11. 11

    Keep slight right to continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

    17.8 mi · 21 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

  12. 12

    Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway

    11.1 mi · 12 min · William Elton Brown Freeway

  13. 13

    Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway

    5.9 mi · 6 min · William Elton Brown Freeway

  14. 14

    Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway

    224.4 mi · 4 hr · Westside Freeway

  15. 15

    Keep slight right

    58.4 mi · 1 hr 7 min

  16. 16

    Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway

    4.1 mi · 5 min · Golden State Freeway

  17. 17

    Keep slight right to continue on I 405 South

    1354 ft · 18 sec

  18. 18

    Keep slight left

    5.3 mi · 6 min

  19. 19

    Take the exit slight right toward CA 170 South: Hollywood

    2508 ft · 33 sec

  20. 20

    Continue on Hollywood Freeway

    16.2 mi · 21 min · Hollywood Freeway

  21. 21

    Take the exit slight right toward Broadway

    636 ft · 17 sec

  22. 22

    Continue on West Aliso Street

    125 m · 18 sec · West Aliso Street

  23. 23

    Turn right onto North Spring Street

    1455 ft · 36 sec · North Spring Street

  24. 24

    Turn left onto West 1st Street

    108 m · 14 sec · West 1st Street

  25. 25

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · West 1st Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Foster City and Los Angeles.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Long-distance drive

This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.

Directions
25 steps
5 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
6
3 merges, 3 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
6.6 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Westside Freeway
283 mi · 75%
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
28.2 mi · 7%
William Elton Brown Freeway
17 mi · 5%
Hollywood Freeway
16.2 mi · 4%
J Arthur Younger Freeway
11.9 mi · 3%
I 405 South
5.56 mi · 1%
Longest Stretch

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.

Trip Read

A longer out-and-back drive

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

Drive Time
05h 56m
Long day trip
Same-Day Return
11h 54m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+45.6 mi
331 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Avenal
02h 58m from Foster City
Leave By
5:06 AM PDT
Early departure recommended
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Foster City and Sunny near Los Angeles.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Foster City to Los Angeles?

The road trip is about 376.6 miles (606 km) and usually takes 05h 56m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Avenal is a useful midpoint, sitting about 185.4 miles from Foster City and 191.1 miles from Los Angeles.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 331 miles (532.7 km), while the road route adds roughly 45.6 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 8:00 AM PDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 5:06 AM PDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $76.67 one way or $153.34 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 118.1 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Foster City and Sunny near Los Angeles.

Stop Ideas Near Avenal

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Avenal, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Avenal.

BUS

Kettleman City, California

15 mi away
3300 Hubert Way
BUS

Lemoore, California

43 mi away
300 E Street
BUS

Lemoore (Naval Air Station), California

46 mi away
25th Ave and Highway 198
RAIL

Corcoran station

53 mi away
1099 Otis Ave.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Foster City and Los Angeles. Straight-line distance: 331.02 mi (532.72 km).

Foster City

#1 Foster City

City in San Mateo County, California, United States

Population33,901
Coordinates37.5585500, -122.2710800
Altitude2
CountryUnited States
Los Angeles

#2 Los Angeles

The second most populous city in the United States and the center of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Population3,970,219
Coordinates34.0522300, -118.2436800
Altitude89
CountryUnited States
Start: Shell Boulevard (-122.271113, 37.558513)
End: West 1st Street (-118.243569, 34.052341)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 606 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)12h 32m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)09h 24m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)07h 31m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)06h 16m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)05h 22m
80 mph (129 km/h)04h 41m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
13.29 gal
50.3 L · about $76.67
Round trip
$153.34
26.58 gal · 100.6 L
Estimated CO2
118.1 kg one way
Round trip: 236.2 kg / 521 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $76.67 $153.34
Mid-grade $6.07 $80.62 $161.23
Premium $6.24 $82.97 $165.94
Diesel $7.57 $100.57 $201.13

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 · Apr 23, 2026

There is no time difference between Foster City and Los Angeles. The current time is 00:31:48.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.