California
Distance from Oakland to San Francisco
Straight-line distance
44.2mi
Oakland, CA and San Francisco, CA are 44.2 miles (71.1 km) apart in a straight line. From Oakland, the shortest path starts out heading W (266°).
- kilometers
- 71.1
- nautical miles
- 38.4
- heading from Oakland
- 266° W
- heading from San Francisco
- 86° E
Orange line: great-circle path · ring: midpoint · thin lines: county borders
How far Oakland is from San Francisco
The great-circle distance between the Census internal points of Oakland and San Francisco is 44.2 miles, 71.1 km or 38.4 nautical miles. That is the shortest path over the Earth's surface, computed with the haversine formula on a sphere with the mean Earth radius, 6,371.0 km. A course held on one compass bearing (a rhumb line) would be 44.2 miles, practically the same at this range.
Measurements
- Miles
- 44.2
- Kilometers
- 71.1
- Nautical miles
- 38.4
- Bearing from Oakland
- 266.4° W
- Bearing arriving at San Francisco
- 265.9°
- Bearing from San Francisco
- 85.9° E
Halfway between Oakland and San Francisco
The great-circle midpoint is at 37.749187, -122.629066 (37°44'57.07"N 122°37'44.64"W). The nearest incorporated place of 1,000 or more people is Daly City, CA, with 101,418 residents, 9.6 miles from the midpoint. To find towns near the midpoint of any two places, use the halfway tool.
Time zones and daylight
Both use America/Los_Angeles, so there is no time difference. On June 21, Oakland gets 14 h 47 min of daylight and San Francisco 14 h 47 min; on December 21, 9 h 33 min and 9 h 33 min. The two sit at nearly the same latitude, so their day lengths match closely all year.
Population compared
San Francisco has 1.9 times the population of Oakland. From July 2020 to July 2024, Oakland changed by +0.6% and San Francisco by -5.4%. Both are in California.
- 01Oakland, CA443,554 (+0.6%)
- 02San Francisco, CA827,526 (-5.4%)
Questions people ask
How far is Oakland from San Francisco?
44.2 miles, 71.1 km or 38.4 nautical miles along the great circle between the two Census internal points. Road distance is longer.
Which direction is San Francisco from Oakland?
W. The great-circle path leaves Oakland on a bearing of 266.4° and arrives at San Francisco on 265.9°. The return trip starts on 85.9°.
What is halfway between Oakland and San Francisco?
The midpoint is at 37.749187, -122.629066. The nearest incorporated place of 1,000+ is Daly City, CA, 9.6 miles from it.
Is there a time difference between Oakland and San Francisco?
Both use America/Los_Angeles, so there is no time difference.
Which is bigger, Oakland or San Francisco?
San Francisco, with 827,526 residents in July 2024 against 443,554 for Oakland, 1.9 times as many.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census 2024 Gazetteer internal points and Vintage 2024 estimates; time zones from Open-Meteo.
- 01Census 2024 Gazetteer, places
- 02Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
- 03SunCalc library (Vladimir Agafonkin), algorithms after Jean Meeus
- 04IANA time zone database (clock times and daylight saving rules)
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.