Pacific Coast Highway: Drive Times and Distances

Drive times and distances on the Pacific Coast Highway or the quickest routes from Seattle to San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego.

Road signs for driving the Pacific Coast Highway

Here are the rough drive times and distances between the main cities along the Pacific Coast Highway. We cover the quickest routes from Seattle to San Francisco, San Francisco to Los Angeles, and Los Angeles to San Diego, given in miles and with the approximate driving time it takes.

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We also give the drive time and distance if going along the coast the whole way, which can be very different. They're also optimum times, and take no account of any stops you might want to make, even rest stops, nor any traffic conditions. They assume you are driving at or just under the speed limit the whole way. If your personal driving speed is different from that, you need to take this into account too.

Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

Seattle to San Francisco

Quickest Route
About 800 miles, almost 13 hours without a break

Pacific Coast Highway Route
(Including the Olympic Peninsula)
About 1100 miles, roughly 25 hours of driving

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San Francisco to Los Angeles

Quickest Route
About 380 miles, or 6 hours of driving

Pacific Coast Highway Route
About 460 miles, or 9 hours without a break

Combining the two
Note that if you set off from either end along the Pacific Coast Highway then there's no easy place to cut across to the freeway and make up time. What you gain in time you'll lose in getting to the freeway to begin with, as it doesn't run close to the coast.

Highway 101
Although the Pacific Coast Highway and Highway 101 are mostly one and the same, there's a stretch of this route roughly between Salinas and San Luis Obispo when 101 goes inland. Going that way is about 126 miles, or about 2 hours of driving.

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Taking the coast route is about 150 miles and will take about 3 hours, as it's a slower route. That's what we've assumed you'll do in the above estimate of 460 miles. So if you really need to, you could shave an hour off your driving time by skipping this bit of the coast.

The Beach in San Diego

Los Angeles to San Diego

Note that this drive more than any of the others is affected by traffic, so the exact time taken depends on day of the week, time of day... and luck! The figures below are optimum times, if things run smoothly.

Quickest Route
From Downtown Los Angeles to San Diego is about 120 miles, or 2 hours on a good day. If you want to stick to the coast, then Santa Monica to San Diego is roughly 135 miles, or maybe 2 hours 15 minutes.

Pacific Coast Highway Route
If you really stick to the coast and beaches the whole way, that's going to turn into about 150 miles and take you about four hours, as driving is a lot slower as you pass through every town on the way.

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Other driving pages

Oregon Coast Charging Stations
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to Oregon coast charging stations for electric vehicles, from Brookings in the south to Astoria in the north.
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Three Days
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in three days, including the best places to stay, and the best things to do and see.
Washington Coast Charging Stations
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to Washington coast charging stations for electric vehicles along Highway 101 from Oregon and around the Olympic Peninsula.
San Francisco to San Diego
Driving from San Francisco to San Diego has two main options, the fast way on I-5 or the scenic route along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Pacific Coast Highway Driving Tips
Pacific Coast Highway driving tips for this great American road trip include finding cheap gas, watching the speed limits, and allowing plenty of travel time.
The 17-Mile Drive between Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey
Pacific Coast Highway Travel takes the 17-Mile Drive from Carmel to Pacific Grove and Monterey, stopping to see the Lone Cypress and beautiful coastline views.
Ways to Go
Here are links to the different ways you can go along the Pacific Coast Highway, one of the most popular drives in the world but you can also cycle it.
California Driving Laws
If visiting California and planning to drive the Pacific Coast Highway it's important to know California driving laws in case they differ from your own state.
When to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway
When to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway depends on whether you want to drive in Oregon and Washington as well as California, and on the weather.
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Five Days
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in five days, including the best places to stay over, and the best things to do and see.
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Four Days
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in four days, including the best places to stay, and the best things to do and see.
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Two Days
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in two days, including the best places to stay, and the best things to do and see.
Route 66 Meets the Pacific Coast Highway
Historic Route 66 winds from Chicago to LA, going through Los Angeles, meeting the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, California, at the Santa Monica Pier.
LA to Hearst Castle
Pacific Coast Highway travel offers advice on driving from LA to Hearst Castle, including distance, journey time, and route.
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway
Here are the basic facts if you plan to drive the Pacific Coast Highway, including which is the best direction and when is the best time to go driving.
Pacific Coast Highway Stops
Pacific Coast Highway stops include big city vacation destinations like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, and smaller places like Monterey.
Best Time to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway
The best time to drive the Pacific Coast Highway is when you have the most time to spare, but late spring and fall is when you'll get the best weather.
California Coast Charging Stations
California coast charging stations are so numerous that the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the best US road trips to drive in an electric vehicle or EV.