The Open Road Travel

A road trip from San Francisco to Seattle takes you through the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

An 800+ mile road trip from San Francisco to Seattle takes you up the northwest coast of the United States. You’ll travel through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, past some of the most stunning mountains and forests in the country.

If you’re thinking of embarking on this fabulous journey yourself, I highly suggest reading on, so you don’t miss anything along the way.

There are two routes you can use for a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle, both of which are reasonably long but incredibly straightforward. There are also plenty of places to cross between them, so you can enjoy some of the attractions on both routes.

The most direct route covers 800 miles and takes around 13 hours to complete.

This will see you begin by taking the I-80 northeast across the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge and following it to Exit 56. Here you will join I-505 and follow it for its 33 mile duration, before merging with the I-5 and following it the remaining 720 miles to Seattle.

The other route for a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle will see you follow the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, one of the most scenic roads in the world, almost the entire way.

It will, however, come in at the longer length and time of 950 miles and 20 and ½ hours, respectively.

This route begins by taking California State Route 1 out of the San Francisco and following it north to the town of Leggett, California. It merges with US 101 here, and you’ll take this until you pass the town of Artic, in Washington.

Join Washington State Route 107 where it starts and drive its 8-mile duration, before heading east on US 12. When this veers right, continue straight onto Washington State Route 8. Take this its 21-mile duration, before re-joining US 101.

When you reach Olympia, you will merge onto I-5, which takes you the rest of the way to Seattle.

With a minimum of 800 miles and 13 hours, any route you use for a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle will cover a lot of ground, meaning the majority of people will need to split it across multiple days.

While there are plenty of great places to stop along the way, the best place to stop on a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle is Portland.

As the largest city in Oregon and the second largest in the Pacific northwest, it is brimming with vibrant culture, history, and attractions to enjoy.

First settled in the 1830’s, the city of Portland was officially established in 1845, at the western end of the historic Oregon Trail. Surrounded by forests, mountains, and oceans, it is one of the most naturally beautiful cities in the United States.

Often overlooked by tourists, due to its slightly isolated location, there is plenty to keep visitors to Portland entertained.

From an amazing range of film and music venues, museums, and performing arts establishments, to bars, breweries, and restaurants serving its distinctive cuisine, there is something in Portland to appeal to people of all tastes and interests.

Known as “Bridgetown”, thanks to the many bridges over the Willamette River throughout the city, many of which are designated historic landmarks, it is even a great destination for people who just want to explore and take in the architecture and stunning views Portland has to offer.

The Benson, A Coast Hotel is a historic hotel in Downtown Portland, filled with crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and stunning architecture and décor, to give guests a stylish experience from the second they step foot through the door.

Each of the rooms features a similarly beautiful style, while also being kitted out with luxury furnishings, amenities like Wi-Fi, tea and coffee making facilities, and a flat screen cable TV, as well as nice touches like free toiletries and an organic bathrobe and slippers.

The Palm Court restaurant in the hotel lobby serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, which includes tapas and cocktails, and can be enjoyed as room service.

Free Starbucks tea and coffee is provided here each morning, and live jazz performances are held on evenings from Wednesday to Saturday. Other facilities on offer at the hotel include 24-hour business, conference, and fitness centres, as well as concierge and laundry services.

For those seeking the best time for a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle, the absolute best choice is to take your trip between early June and mid-August. There are two reasons for this.

The first reason is that this is the warmest, driest period, both along the route and at your destination. With Seattle and the surrounding region being known for having an often cool, wet climate, this makes it the perfect time to see the area in all its glory.

The other reason is that the route for your road trip goes through the region most heavily affected by the California wildfire season. With said season peaking between late August and early November, this period ensures you are unlikely to run into any trouble along the way.

With two great routes for a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle, both going through some of the most picturesque parts of the United States, you are going to pass an amazing number of attractions along the way.

This becomes even larger for those who want to weave between the two routes. Seeing everything there is to enjoy between San Francisco and Seattle could take weeks or maybe even months.

That is why we have complied the following list of the top attractions on a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle, to give you a hand planning the perfect travel itinerary.

Sacramento is the capital and 6th most populous city in California, as well as its centre of finance and government. It is also among the fastest growing cities in America.

Sacramento is incredibly popular with tourists, thanks largely to its historic riverside district, known as Old Sacramento.

Its wonderful collection of cobbled streets and historic 19th century buildings have been preserved to offer a Californian experience from when the state was settled.

Attractions like horse-drawn carriage rides, steam train tours, and museums and galleries make it easy to step back in time.

One of the biggest LGBT communities in the U.S, an extensive Chinatown, the State Capitol building, and a great range of bars, film and music venues, hotels, restaurants, and shops make Sacramento a diverse city with something to offer for everyone.

Mendocino National Forest covers more than 913,000 acres and is the only national forest in California not to feature a paved exit or entry road. This makes it an ideal destination for those who want the most natural experience of the region’s landscape imaginable.

With numerous lakes, rivers, and wilderness areas, it is regularly used for activities like backpacking, boating, camping, mountain biking, fishing, hiking, hunting, nature spotting, off-roading, paragliding, and photography.

The 11th oldest national park in the U.S, Lassen Volcanic National Park was founded in 1916. It is located to the immediate south of Lassen National Forest, which was established 11 years earlier and covers 1,700 square miles (4,300 square kilometres).

Both are named after pioneer Peter Lassen, who ranched, mined, and campaigned for the area.

The park was established to protect its volcanic landscape, which contains the world’s largest lava dome volcano, and at least one example of every known type of volcano.

Many are still active and power hydrothermal features like boiling pools, bubbling mud pots, and fumaroles in the park.

Nature lovers also have the opportunity to encounter an incredible range of wildlife in both the park and forest.

With bats, black bears, bobcats, chipmunks, cougars, coyotes, foxes, marten, mule deer, racoons, mice, salamanders, skunks, squirrels, and weasels, as well as over 220 species of birds inhabiting the park, you can go for a relaxing hike and truly appreciate the region’s natural wonders here.

First established in the mid 1800’s in the Shasta Cascade region, Redding was the most northern European settlement in California.

During the California Gold Rush, it experienced an economic boom that saw people migrating here from across the country and even other parts of the world.

While the city’s popularity waned dramatically after the mines were empty, it remains the cultural and economic heart of the region, as well as the largest city in California north of Sacramento.

There are plenty of natural and historic attractions in and around the city for visitors to enjoy.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest is technically two separate national forests, both of which were established in 1905 and merged in 1954 to form a larger area covering more than 2.2 million acres.

It takes its name from three of the region’s dominant features, the 165 mile (266 kilometre) long Trinity River, 14,179 foot (4,322 metre) tall Mount Shasta, and Shasta Lake, which, with a surface area of 30,000 acres, is the largest man-made lake in California.

With countless byways, forests, lakes, peaks, rivers, trails, and wilderness areas, it is a fabulous place to get lost and enjoy activities like backpacking, camping, climbing, and hiking.

Redwood National Park is a legendary national park, known around the world for its towering, old-growth coastal redwood forests.

Surrounded by canyons, prairies, rivers, streams, and tidal pools, it stretches along 40 miles of the California coast and provides breathtaking ocean vistas.

The park is home to an abundance of wildlife, which ranges from the California sea lions on its beaches to the deer, elk, and bears in the forest, and near 300 species of birds in its canopy. It is an incredibly popular destination for activities like hiking, fishing, and nature watching.

Its iconic landscape has also been featured in countless movies and TV shows through the years, such as Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi. This makes it a great destination for movie buffs hoping to spot a famous location as well.

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest covers nearly 1.8 million acres between the Siskiyou, Klamath, Cascade, and Oregon Coast mountain ranges and is considered one of most scenic national forests in the U.S.

A vast wilderness filled with waterfalls, winding rivers, and old growth forests, it is an ideal spot for nature lovers to get lost and explore. It is also home to a unique attraction that is the largest ponderosa pine tree on Earth, which stands at 268 feet (82 metres).

Klamath National Forest covers over 1.7 million acres in the Klamath and Cascade mountain ranges.

It is a spot known for its natural beauty, with crystal clear lakes and old growth forests backdropped by towering mountain peaks, perfect for activities like hiking, swimming, and nature spotting.

It is also home to the historic Sawyers Bar Catholic Church. Built in 1855 and listed on the National Register Of Historic Places since 1978, it is one of the oldest and most remote mission churches in the country and even has graves dating back as far as 1850 in its grounds.

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is a wilderness refuge known for its mountainous terrain.

Located in both the Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges, its landscape boasts features like forests, grasslands, dramatic rock formations and outcroppings, meadows, and trails to explore.

Its incredible biodiversity also makes it a great stop for nature lovers and photographers.

Crater Lake National Park is the 5th oldest national park in the United States, founded in 1902.

Set in the caldera of the ancient Mount Mazama volcano in southern Oregon, it centres around the eponymous lake, which is the deepest in the U.S. and known for its clear blue waters.

Featuring no inlets or outlets, the lake is completely reliant on precipitation. Among its most popular attractions are volcanic formations like the Phantom Ship and Wizard Island, as well as “The Old Man”, a hemlock tree that has floated upright in the lake for over a century.

Wildlife like black bears, marmots, marten, mule deer, Roosevelt elk, and over 150 species of bird can be spotted while you enjoy activities like boating, cycling, hiking, swimming, and driving.

In the winter, activities such as skiing and snowshoe trekking are popular in Crater lake National park too.

Umpqua National Forest is a 983,000 acre forest that contains a collection of wilderness areas.

When combined, they are home to over 250 species of different animals, including bats, black bears, cougars, deer, elk, foxes, racoons, and squirrels, as well as various types of birds and fish. This makes it one of the best places in the United States for nature lovers to visit.

It is also a great destination for fans of the video game “Days Gone”, as this and nearby Crater Lake National Park are where the game’s events are set, and many of the locations are real places that you can visit.

Eugene is the second or third most populous city in Oregon, depending on which statistics you use. It is best known as the home of the University Of Oregon and is considered one of the most naturally beautiful cities in America.

It is also very well known for its pedigree in the athletics industry. Nicknamed “Track Town, USA”, top brand Nike was founded in the city, and it is a popular location for cycling, kayaking, rafting, and running events to be held.

It is even the home of the 2022 Track And Field World Championships.

Other popular attractions in Eugene include the Museum Of Natural And Cultural History, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum Of Art, and the Fifth Street Public Market, as well as a great range of urban parks, gardens, and trails.

Siuslaw National Forest covers over 634,000 acres on the Oregon coastline and perfectly demonstrates the landscapes of the mountains and shore coming together.

Throughout its area you will see beaches, forests, lakes, rivers, sand dunes, streams, tide pools, and even the ocean.

These diverse ecosystems provide habitats for countless different species of wildlife, as well as boasting the tallest peak in the Oregon Coast Range, Mary’s Peak, standing at 4097 feet.

It is incredibly popular for activities like camping, climbing, fishing, hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, nature spotting, off roading, and picnicking.

Salem is generally considered to be the second largest city in the state of Oregon. It served as the capital of the historic Oregon Territory from 1851 until 1859, before becoming the capital of the state when it joined the union.

This historic past is demonstrated in its stunning collection of churches, museums, theatres, and the Oregon State Capitol building, making Salem the perfect destination for those interested in Oregon’s history.

There is even a wonderful collection of parks, to allow visitors to enjoy the region’s natural beauty as conveniently as possible during their stay.

Olympic National Park is the most north-western national park in the contiguous U.S. and is home to the iconic Mount Olympus. Its landscapes are synonymous for their meadows, rivers, rugged mountains, subalpine forests, temperate rainforests, and waterfalls.

As one of the wildest parts of America, adventurers can set out to scale Mount Olympus itself, while nature lovers will get to explore an untouched wilderness filled with goats, elk, deer, and a host of different species of marine wildlife and birds.

The capital of Washington and the cultural centre of the south Puget Sound region, Olympia is regularly visited by tourists hoping to see attractions like the Washington State Capitol building and the 1909 Governor’s Mansion.

Those who enjoy more natural cities will also enjoy options like Percival Landing Park, with its beautiful boardwalk and local art displays, as well as the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, where you will find a collection of wildlife that includes over 200 species of birds.

Tacoma is the third largest city in the state of Washington and is well known as the home of the University Of Washington Tacoma. It is also a popular destination with culture vultures, due to boasting one of the best selections of art galleries and museums in the state.

Known affectionately as the “City Of Destiny”, Tacoma was chosen as the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad and features the largest port in Washington.

Mount Rainier National Park is situated in the Cascade Mountains, and centres around a volcano surrounded by landscapes filled with waterfalls, meadows, and at least 27 major glaciers.

It is a destination that offers two distinctly different experiences, depending on the season.

During the winter, heavy snowfall turns it into a winter wonderland and the snowiest regularly measured location on Earth. It is a prefect choice for winter sports and activities, such as skiing, tubing, snowshoe trekking, and even just exploring the winter wilderness.

Then, when summer arrives, the park is taken over by stunning wildflowers and comes alive with a collection of wildlife like deer, goats, elk, bears, marmots, and over 180 species of birds.

During this time, activities like camping, hiking, picnicking, and rock climbing are popular in Mount Rainier.

A road trip from San Francisco to Seattle is an incredible adventure that has something to offer for everyone. From beautiful towns to stunning natural landscapes, you will find something to suit you, no matter your taste or style.

This article will hopefully have helped you to plan the perfect route to get you to your destination, while giving you plenty of options with which to fill out your travel itinerary.

That mean’s all you have left to do is decide when to go and start getting things booked, so you can look forward to experiencing it all for yourself, as soon as possible.