San Francisco to Reno distance
San Francisco and Reno are 186 miles (299 km) apart in a straight line and 218 miles (351 km) apart by road: about 4 hr 20 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-80. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 218 mi (351 km)
- Driving time
- 4 hr 20 min
- Straight line
- 186 mi (299 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 186 mi (299 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 218 mi (351 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 4 hr 20 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +17% 1.17 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 51 mph (82 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 49° (northeast) leaving San Francisco toward Reno |
| Midpoint | 38.6596° N, 121.1325° W near Mather (California) |
| Halfway by road | Near Penryn (California) 109 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | San Francisco: 55 ft (17 m) · Reno: 4,505 ft (1,373 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | San Francisco: 826,079 · Reno: 283,621 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
San Francisco to Reno by road
The fastest driving route is 218 miles (351 km) long and takes about 4 hr 20 min without stops or traffic. Almost all of it is on I-80: 215 mi of 218 mi.
It goes through 2 states: California (200 mi) and Nevada (13.8 mi). That’s an average of 51 mph (82 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 2 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 5 hr. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, San Francisco and Reno are 186 miles (299 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 17% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 117. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 36th for detour (the average is 16%).
From San Francisco, Reno lies to the northeast (bearing 49°), and from Reno, San Francisco lies to the southwest.
Halfway between San Francisco and Reno
Halfway along the straight line, 92.9 miles (149 km) from each city, is the point 38.6596° N, 121.1325° W. It falls near Mather (California, pop. 4,520), 11.2 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Suisun City (California, pop. 29,454), 55.4 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 109 miles (175 km) from each city, near Penryn (California, pop. 1,114), 3.9 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Suisun City (California, pop. 29,454), 57.8 mi away. The two midpoints are 10.6 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
San Francisco and Reno share the same time all year: both are on Pacific Time.
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
San Francisco sits at 55 ft (17 m) and Reno at 4,505 ft (1,373 m), 4,450 ft (1,356 m) higher.
San Francisco has 826,079 people and Reno 283,621 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from San Francisco to Reno?
186 miles (299 km) in a straight line and 218 miles (351 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-80).
How long is the drive from San Francisco to Reno?
About 4 hr 20 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 5 hr.
Where is the halfway point between San Francisco and Reno?
In a straight line, near Mather (California). By road, 109 mi from each city, near Penryn (California).
Are San Francisco and Reno in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Pacific Time all year.
Which city is higher, San Francisco or Reno?
Reno, at 4,505 ft (1,373 m); San Francisco sits at 55 ft (17 m).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
Similar pairs
The ones in this series whose cities are closest to these two, in case another one suits you better.
More distances from San Francisco
All distances- San Francisco to Portland 535 mi straight line · 635 mi by road · 12 hr 15 min
- San Francisco to San Diego 458 mi straight line · 501 mi by road · 9 hr 25 min
- New York to San Francisco 2,572 mi straight line · 2,910 mi by road · 51 hr 15 min
- San Francisco to Honolulu 2,397 mi straight line · 5 hr 20 min flight
- Los Angeles to San Francisco 347 mi straight line · 382 mi by road · 7 hr 10 min
- San Francisco to Seattle 679 mi straight line · 807 mi by road · 15 hr 35 min
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology