How far is Foster City, CA from Redwood City, CA?

The driving distance from Foster City, CA to Redwood City, CA is about 7 miles (11.3 km), with a travel time of about 00h 14m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 5.4 miles (8.7 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 28m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
7.04 mi
00h 14m
Flight
5.41 mi
8.71 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Foster City.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
5.41 mi
Kilometers
8.71 km
Flight Time

Driving Distance

Road route
7.04 mi
Kilometers
11.33 km
Drive Time
00h 14m

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 00h 14m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Redwood City
Wed, Apr 15, 6:19 PM PDT
Return by in Foster City
Wed, Apr 15, 6:34 PM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Foster City
2026-04-15T18:05
Arrive Redwood City
Wed, Apr 15, 6:19 PM PDT
Route Timing
00h 14m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:14 AM to 7:14 PM PDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
8:02 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Foster City
10:00 PM PDT
Flexible departure

This departure sits inside the recommended comfort window for the route.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Belmont
CA

Town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States

From Foster City
3.5 mi
00h 07m
To Redwood City
3.5 mi
00h 07m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
Foster City Weather
CA
Live fallback forecast
65°F
Wednesday
Using Belmont as the closest live forecast in the San Mateo County weather hub.

Partly Sunny

Starts
Wed, Apr 15 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
7 to 14 mph W
Destination
66°F
Wednesday

Partly Sunny

Starts
Wed, Apr 15 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
5 to 14 mph WSW

Driving Route Map

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

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Foster City and Redwood City.

  1. 1

    Start on Shell Boulevard

    19 m · 3 sec · Shell Boulevard

  2. 2

    Turn left onto East Hillsdale Boulevard

    1.4 mi · 3 min · East Hillsdale Boulevard

  3. 3

    Take the ramp slight right toward US 101 South: San Jose

    1780 ft · 46 sec

  4. 4

    Merge slight left onto Bayshore Freeway

    3.9 mi · 5 min · Bayshore Freeway

  5. 5

    Take the exit slight right toward Whipple Avenue

    969 ft · 24 sec

  6. 6

    Continue on Veterans Boulevard

    2963 ft · 1 min · Veterans Boulevard

  7. 7

    Turn right onto Brewster Avenue

    2746 ft · 1 min · Brewster Avenue

  8. 8

    Turn left

    146 m · 21 sec

  9. 9

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec

Car Route Details

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

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
9 steps
3 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
3
1 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
128.6 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Bayshore Freeway
3.94 mi · 56%
East Hillsdale Boulevard
1.39 mi · 20%
Veterans Boulevard
0.56 mi · 8%
Brewster Avenue
0.52 mi · 7%
US 101 South
0.34 mi · 5%
Whipple Avenue
0.18 mi · 3%
Longest Stretch

Bayshore Freeway

Merge slight left onto Bayshore Freeway

3.94 mi · 00h 05m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 14m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 28m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+1.6 mi
5.4 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Belmont
00h 07m from Foster City
Leave By
8:02 PM PDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Partly Sunny leaving Foster City and Partly Sunny near Redwood City.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Foster City to Redwood City?

The road trip is about 7 miles (11.3 km) and usually takes 00h 14m in normal driving conditions.

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

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Belmont is a useful midpoint, sitting about 3.5 miles from Foster City and 3.5 miles from Redwood City.

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

The direct path is about 5.4 miles (8.7 km), while the road route adds roughly 1.6 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 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 8:02 PM PDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $1.44 one way or $2.88 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 2.2 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Partly Sunny around Foster City and Partly Sunny near Redwood City.

Stop Ideas Near Belmont

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

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Belmont, 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 Belmont.

RAIL

Hayward station

23 mi away
22555 Meekland Avenue
RAIL

Fremont station

24 mi away
37260 Fremont Blvd.
RAIL

Oakland Coliseum station

27 mi away
700 73rd Avenue
BUS

San Francisco (Caltrain), California

30 mi away
700 4th St.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Foster City and Redwood City. Straight-line distance: 5.41 mi (8.71 km).

Foster City

#1 Foster City

City in San Mateo County, California, United States

Population33,901
Coordinates37.5585500, -122.2710800
Altitude2
CountryUnited States
Redwood City

#2 Redwood City

A city in San Mateo County, California.

Population85,925
Coordinates37.4852200, -122.2363500
Altitude6
CountryUnited States
Start: Shell Boulevard (-122.271113, 37.558513)
End: (-122.236767, 37.484919)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 11 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 14m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 10m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 08m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 07m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 06m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 05m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.25 gal
0.94 L · about $1.44
Round trip
$2.88
0.5 gal · 1.88 L
Estimated CO2
2.2 kg one way
Round trip: 4.4 kg / 10 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $1.44 $2.88
Mid-grade $6.07 $1.52 $3.03
Premium $6.24 $1.56 $3.12
Diesel $7.57 $1.89 $3.78

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 16, 2026

There is no time difference between Foster City and Redwood City. The current time is 18:05:51.

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.