How far is Union City, CA from Chula Vista, CA?

The driving distance from Union City, CA to Chula Vista, CA is about 501.4 miles (807 km), with a travel time of about 08h 12m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 443.7 miles (714.1 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 16h 24m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 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
501.46 mi
08h 12m
Flight
443.73 mi
714.12 km direct

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

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Union City.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
443.73 mi
Kilometers
714.12 km
Flight Time
00h 53m

Driving Distance

Road route
501.46 mi
Kilometers
807.02 km
Drive Time
08h 12m

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 08h 12m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Chula Vista
Fri, May 29, 11:24 PM PDT
Return by in Union City
Sat, May 30, 7:36 AM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Union City
2026-05-29T15:11
Arrive Chula Vista
Fri, May 29, 11:24 PM PDT
Route Timing
08h 12m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
2:12 PM to 3:42 PM PDT

Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

Leave by
7:36 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Union City
8:00 PM PDT
Overnight-style route

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
Buttonwillow
CA

Place in Kern County California

From Union City
245.3 mi
04h 06m
To Chula Vista
256.1 mi
04h 06m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
69°F
Friday

Mostly Sunny

Starts
Fri, May 29 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
12 mph SW
Destination
67°F
Friday

Partly Sunny

Starts
Fri, May 29 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
5 to 15 mph W

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Union City and Chula Vista.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Union City and Chula Vista.

  1. 1

    Start on Cambridge Way

    59 m · 11 sec · Cambridge Way

  2. 2

    Turn left onto Union City Boulevard

    1.5 km · 2 min · Union City Boulevard

  3. 3

    Continue on Hesperian Boulevard

    2 mi · 4 min · Hesperian Boulevard

  4. 4

    Take the ramp slight right toward CA 92 East, I 880: Hayward

    2521 ft · 35 sec

  5. 5

    Keep slight left to continue on I 880 North, CA 92 East: Oakland, Downtown Hayward

    1127 ft · 15 sec

  6. 6

    Keep slight right to continue on CA 92 East: Downtown Hayward

    1093 ft · 23 sec

  7. 7

    Merge slight left onto Jackson Street

    1005 ft · 23 sec · Jackson Street

  8. 8

    Continue on West Jackson Street

    1.5 mi · 3 min · West Jackson Street

  9. 9

    Continue on Foothill Boulevard

    2503 ft · 1 min · Foothill Boulevard

  10. 10

    Turn right onto A Street

    1.2 km · 1 min · A Street

  11. 11

    Continue on Redwood Road

    2669 ft · 59 sec · Redwood Road

  12. 12

    Take the ramp right toward I 580 East: Stockton

    1451 ft · 37 sec

  13. 13

    Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway

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

  14. 14

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

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

  15. 15

    Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway

    11.1 mi · 12 min · William Elton Brown Freeway

  16. 16

    Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway

    5.9 mi · 6 min · William Elton Brown Freeway

  17. 17

    Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway

    224.4 mi · 4 hr · Westside Freeway

  18. 18

    Keep slight right

    58.4 mi · 1 hr 7 min

  19. 19

    Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway

    4.1 mi · 5 min · Golden State Freeway

  20. 20

    Keep slight right to continue on I 405 South

    1354 ft · 18 sec

  21. 21

    Keep slight left

    24.7 mi · 29 min

  22. 22

    Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway

    1.3 mi · 2 min · Golden State Freeway

  23. 23

    Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway

    25.7 mi · 30 min · Santa Ana Freeway

  24. 24

    Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway

    1241 ft · 16 sec · Santa Ana Freeway

  25. 25

    Take the exit slight right toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana

    1.3 km · 57 sec

  26. 26

    Keep slight left

    788 ft · 10 sec

  27. 27

    Keep slight left to continue on I 5 South

    981 ft · 13 sec

  28. 28

    Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway

    1.3 km · 54 sec · Santa Ana Freeway

  29. 29

    Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway

    1.2 km · 52 sec · Santa Ana Freeway

  30. 30

    Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway

    1.2 mi · 1 min · Santa Ana Freeway

  31. 31

    Take the exit slight right toward Newport Avenue

    1.2 km · 1 min

  32. 32

    Turn right onto Newport Avenue

    1943 ft · 44 sec · Newport Avenue

  33. 33

    Turn left onto Walnut Avenue

    2.2 mi · 4 min · Walnut Avenue

  34. 34

    Turn left onto Jamboree Road

    2595 ft · 38 sec · Jamboree Road

  35. 35

    Take the exit slight right toward I 5 South

    1479 ft · 21 sec

  36. 36

    Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway

    5.5 mi · 6 min · Santa Ana Freeway

  37. 37

    Keep slight left to continue on Santa Ana Freeway

    1.3 km · 56 sec · Santa Ana Freeway

  38. 38

    Merge slight right onto San Diego Freeway

    62.4 mi · 1 hr 13 min · San Diego Freeway

  39. 39

    Take the exit slight left

    1.3 km · 55 sec

  40. 40

    Continue on Jacob Dekema Freeway

    18.6 mi · 21 min · Jacob Dekema Freeway

  41. 41

    Take the exit slight right toward CA 54 East, CA 54 West

    1234 ft · 30 sec

  42. 42

    Keep slight right to continue on CA 54 West

    1631 ft · 40 sec

  43. 43

    Merge slight left onto South Bay Freeway

    2230 ft · 27 sec · South Bay Freeway

  44. 44

    Take the exit slight right toward Highland Avenue, 4th Avenue

    1451 ft · 44 sec

  45. 45

    Turn left onto Highland Avenue

    1711 ft · 35 sec · Highland Avenue

  46. 46

    Continue on 4th Avenue

    1.5 km · 2 min · 4th Avenue

  47. 47

    Turn right onto F Street

    98 m · 34 sec · F Street

  48. 48

    Continue on F Street

    83 m · 5 sec · F Street

  49. 49

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · F Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Union City and Chula Vista.

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
49 steps
7 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
16
8 merges, 8 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
9.8 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Westside Freeway
283 mi · 56%
San Diego Freeway
63.2 mi · 13%
Santa Ana Freeway
35 mi · 7%
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
28.2 mi · 6%
I 405 South
25 mi · 5%
Jacob Dekema Freeway
18.6 mi · 4%
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

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.

Drive Time
08h 12m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
16h 24m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+57.7 mi
443.7 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Buttonwillow
04h 06m from Union City
Leave By
7:36 PM PDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Mostly Sunny leaving Union City and Partly Sunny near Chula Vista.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Union City to Chula Vista?

The road trip is about 501.4 miles (807 km) and usually takes 08h 12m 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?

Buttonwillow is a useful midpoint, sitting about 245.3 miles from Union City and 256.1 miles from Chula Vista.

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

The direct path is about 443.7 miles (714.1 km), while the road route adds roughly 57.7 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 $102.05 one way or $204.11 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 157.2 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Mostly Sunny around Union City and Partly Sunny near Chula Vista.

Stop Ideas Near Buttonwillow

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

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

RAIL

Wasco station

25 mi away
700 G Street
RAIL

Bakersfield

41 mi away
601 Truxtun Ave
RAIL

Corcoran station

78 mi away
1099 Otis Ave.
BUS

Kettleman City, California

79 mi away
3300 Hubert Way

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Union City and Chula Vista. Straight-line distance: 443.73 mi (714.12 km).

Union City

#1 Union City

A city in Placer County, California.

Population74,107
Coordinates37.5963232, -122.0816297
Altitude3
CountryUnited States
Chula Vista

#2 Chula Vista

The second most populous city in San Diego County, California.

Population272,979
Coordinates32.6400500, -117.0842000
Altitude21
CountryUnited States
Start: Cambridge Way (-122.081649, 37.596399)
End: F Street (-117.084196, 32.640039)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 807 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)16h 42m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)12h 32m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)10h 01m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)08h 21m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)07h 09m
80 mph (129 km/h)06h 15m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
17.69 gal
66.98 L · about $102.05
Round trip
$204.11
35.38 gal · 133.96 L
Estimated CO2
157.2 kg one way
Round trip: 314.4 kg / 693 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $102.05 $204.11
Mid-grade $6.07 $107.31 $214.62
Premium $6.24 $110.44 $220.88
Diesel $7.57 $133.86 $267.72

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 29, 2026

There is no time difference between Union City and Chula Vista. The current time is 15:11:58.

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.