museum
Exploratorium
A pioneering hands-on science museum on San Francisco's waterfront that inspired interactive museums worldwide.
11 km · about 20 min drive
North AmericaUnited StatesCalifornia
Oakland
California, United States · North America
About Oakland
Oakland works well as a base: 5 minutes from Alameda, 29km from Muir Woods National Monument.
Oakland is in California, United States, with about 420,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Alameda, about 4 km away.
Where to Stay in Oakland
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Oakland?
Within an hour or so of Oakland: Exploratorium (11 km), Coit Tower (12 km), Alcatraz Island (14 km), Golden Gate Bridge (18 km).
Are there any good drives near Oakland?
The nearest famous roads are 17-Mile Drive.
Where is Oakland?
Oakland is in California, United States, about 4 km from Alameda.
Road trip
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Quick Information
- Population
- 419,267
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Region
- California
- Timezone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Coordinates
- 37.8044, -122.2708
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United States
AAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Right turn on red is legal in most states unless signed otherwise.
Full driving guide for United StatesTags
Worth the detour from Oakland
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Coit Tower
Art Deco observation tower on Telegraph Hill offering 360-degree views of San Francisco, the bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
12 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Alcatraz Island
Notorious former federal penitentiary on a rocky island in San Francisco Bay that once held America's most dangerous criminals.
14 km · about 25 min drive
bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Art Deco suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait in famous International Orange; drive, cycle, or walk it, with classic viewpoints at Battery Spencer and Fort Point.
18 km · about 20 min drive
museum
California Academy of Sciences
A unique museum combining an aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum under a living green roof in Golden Gate Park.
18 km · about 20 min drive
national park
Muir Woods National Monument
An ancient old-growth coast redwood forest just north of San Francisco, offering peaceful trails beneath towering thousand-year-old trees.
29 km · about 35 min drive
museum
Blackhawk Museum
Classic and rare automobiles displayed as art in an elegant gallery setting in the San Francisco Bay Area.
31 km · about 35 min drive
tunnel
Tom Lantos Tunnels (Devil's Slide)
Twin highway tunnels that bypass the notorious Devil's Slide cliffs on Highway 1 south of Pacifica; the old clifftop roadbed is now a spectacular coastal trail.
33 km · about 40 min drive
Driving roads near Oakland
- 18 kmGolden Gate BridgeThe Art Deco suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait in famous International Orange; drive, cycle, or walk it, with classic viewpoints at Battery Spencer and Fort Point.
- 33 kmTom Lantos Tunnels (Devil's Slide)Twin highway tunnels that bypass the notorious Devil's Slide cliffs on Highway 1 south of Pacifica; the old clifftop roadbed is now a spectacular coastal trail.
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