Fuel cost calculator · About 190 miles
Gas cost from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe
The drive from San Francisco, CA to Lake Tahoe, CA is about 190 miles, so a round trip costs about $72.81 in gas at this week's average of $5.75 a gallon. Change the car, fuel or distance below for your own figure.
What the trip costs by vehicle
| Vehicle | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|
| Compact car (33 mpg) | $33.09 | $66.19 |
| Midsize sedan (30 mpg) | $36.40 | $72.81 |
| Hybrid (50 mpg) | $21.84 | $43.68 |
| Minivan (22 mpg) | $49.64 | $99.28 |
| SUV (24 mpg) | $45.51 | $91.01 |
| Pickup truck (19 mpg) | $57.48 | $114.96 |
Regular gas at $5.748 a gallon, this week's California price, from the EIA’s weekly survey. Fuel only: tolls and parking are not included.
Fuel economy figures are round examples for each kind of vehicle, not official ratings. Your own car's EPA rating is on fueleconomy.gov.
Distance: fastest route between city centres, rounded to the nearest 5 miles, calculated with OSRM on OpenStreetMap road data (© OpenStreetMap contributors), measured November 2026.
190 miles in California
$36.40
6.3 gallons at $5.75 a gallon
$10.10 more than the same trip at the national average.
- Per mile
- 19.2¢
- A full tank
- $86.22
- about 450 miles
- A year of driving
- $2,299
- $192 a month
San Francisco to Lake Tahoe by car
- How much does gas cost from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe?
- About $36.40 one way, or $72.81 for the round trip, in a car that gets 30 mpg. That assumes 190 miles and this week's average regular price of $5.75 a gallon. An SUV at 24 mpg spends about $45.51 one way; a hybrid at 50 mpg about $21.84.
- How far is San Francisco from Lake Tahoe by car?
- About 190 miles on the fastest route between the two city centres, measured on OpenStreetMap road data. Your own start and end points may make it a little longer or shorter; type your distance into the calculator for an exact figure.
- How many gallons of gas does the drive take?
- About 6.3 gallons one way at 30 mpg. That fits in a typical 15-gallon tank, so most cars can make it without stopping for fuel.