How far is San Francisco, CA from El Centro, CA?
The driving distance from San Francisco, CA to El Centro, CA is about 591.5 miles (952 km), with a travel time of about 11h 09m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 517.5 miles (832.8 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 22h 18m 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 11h 09m.
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.
City in California, United States of America
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Chance Light Rain
Mostly Sunny
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between San Francisco and El Centro.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Francisco and El Centro.
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1
Start on Market Street
95 m · 8 sec · Market Street
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2
Turn right onto 11th Street
3173 ft · 2 min · 11th Street
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3
Turn left onto Bryant Street
1724 ft · 1 min · Bryant Street
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4
Take the ramp left toward I 80 East: Oakland
1538 ft · 26 sec
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5
Merge slight right onto Route 80
1.5 km · 1 min · Route 80
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6
Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
5.8 mi · 9 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
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7
Take the exit slight right toward I 580 East: Downtown Oakland, Hayward-Stockton
1.6 km · 1 min
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8
Merge slight left onto MacArthur Freeway
15.9 mi · 18 min · MacArthur Freeway
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9
Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
11.5 mi · 13 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
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10
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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11
Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
11.1 mi · 12 min · William Elton Brown Freeway
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12
Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
5.9 mi · 6 min · William Elton Brown Freeway
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13
Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway
224.4 mi · 4 hr · Westside Freeway
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14
Keep slight right
58.4 mi · 1 hr 7 min
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15
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
2 mi · 2 min · Golden State Freeway
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16
Take the exit slight right toward I 210 East: Pasadena
1347 ft · 18 sec
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17
Continue on Foothill Freeway
24.4 mi · 28 min · Foothill Freeway
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18
Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway
19.1 mi · 22 min · Foothill Freeway
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19
Keep slight right to continue on Foothill Freeway
2476 ft · 33 sec · Foothill Freeway
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20
Take the exit slight right toward CA 57 South: Santa Ana
1.4 km · 2 min
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21
Continue on Orange Freeway
3.4 mi · 4 min · Orange Freeway
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22
Take the exit slight right toward I 10 East, I 10 West: San Bernardino, Los Angeles
928 ft · 23 sec
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23
Keep slight left to continue on I 10 East: San Bernardino Freeway, San Bernardino
1.1 km · 1 min
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24
Merge slight left onto San Bernardino Freeway
1.9 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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25
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
4 mi · 5 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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26
Keep slight left to continue on I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
9 mi · 10 min · I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
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27
Merge slight right onto San Bernardino Freeway
14.3 mi · 16 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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28
Continue on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
40.3 mi · 44 min · Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
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29
Keep slight left to continue on Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
32.5 mi · 35 min · Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
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30
Keep slight right to continue on CA 86 South: CA 86 South, Brawley, El Centro
70 mi · 1 hr 22 min
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31
Turn right onto South 1st Street
1999 ft · 28 sec · South 1st Street
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32
Continue on South Brawley Avenue
1.5 km · 1 min · South Brawley Avenue
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33
Turn left
99 m · 18 sec
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34
Turn right
609 ft · 46 sec
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35
At the end of the road, turn right
144 m · 24 sec
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36
Turn left
12.2 mi · 17 min
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37
Turn left onto West State Street
2101 ft · 1 min · West State Street
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38
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · West State Street
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between San Francisco and El Centro.
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.
Chance Light Rain leaving San Francisco and Mostly Sunny near El Centro.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from San Francisco to El Centro?
The road trip is about 591.5 miles (952 km) and usually takes 11h 09m 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?
Lebec is a useful midpoint, sitting about 295.8 miles from San Francisco and 295.8 miles from El Centro.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 517.5 miles (832.8 km), while the road route adds roughly 74 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 $120.40 one way or $240.80 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 185.5 kg one way.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Chance Light Rain around San Francisco and Mostly Sunny near El Centro.
Stop Ideas Near Lebec
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 Lebec.
Fillmore, California
Tehachapi, California
Santa Paula, California
Santa Clarita-Newhall, California
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between San Francisco and El Centro. Straight-line distance: 517.48 mi (832.8 km).
#1 San Francisco
The seventeenth most populous city in the United States and the center of the San Francisco Bay Area.
| Population | 866,606 |
| Coordinates | 37.7749300, -122.4194200 |
| Altitude | 16 |
| Country | United States |
#2 El Centro
A city in Imperial County, California.
| Population | 43,601 |
| Coordinates | 32.7920000, -115.5630500 |
| Altitude | -12 |
| Country | United States |
End: El Centro (-115.56305, 32.792)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 952 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 19h 42m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 14h 47m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 11h 49m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 09h 51m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 08h 27m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 07h 22m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $5.77 | $120.40 | $240.80 |
| Mid-grade | $6.07 | $126.60 | $253.19 |
| Premium | $6.24 | $130.29 | $260.58 |
| Diesel | $7.57 | $157.92 | $315.85 |
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
Distance to Other Cities
Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.