San Francisco to Las Vegas by Automobile, the Short Route
570 miles, 9 hoursIt's the shortest way from San Francisco to Las Vegas and least prone to winter road closures, but also the most tediously boring route.
Take I-80 east to I-580 east to I-5 south. Take Hwy 46 and Hwy 99 toward Bakersfield and Hwy 58 toward Tehachapi and Mojave, connecting at Barstow with I-15, which goes straight east to Las Vegas.
San Francisco to Las Vegas by Automobile, Summer Scenic Route through Yosemite
610 miles, 12 hoursThis is one of the most scenic ways to get to Las Vegas from San Francisco, not only passing through Yosemite National Park, but also along the eastern side of the Sierras and past Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental U.S. You will have to pay an entrance fee to drive through Yosemite, even though you're just driving through, but the scenery is worth it.
Take I-80 east, connect to I-580 East, then I-205 toward Tracy, merging onto I-5 north toward Stockton. Exit at Hwy 120 east toward Sonora. You will also travel on US Hwy 99 for a short distance. Follow Hwy 120 to Yosemite, then continue on it across the mountains and over Tioga Pass to Lee Vining. Take US Hwy 395 south, turning left (east) onto Hwy 136, which will become Hwy 190. Turn left onto North Hwy, then right onto Daylight Pass Rd toward Beatty, crossing into Nevada. Daylight Pass becomes Hwy 374. Turn right onto US Hwy 95 and take it to Las Vegas.
Whether or not Tioga Pass will be open depends on Mother Nature – the opening date depends on how much snow has fallen and how fast it can be removed. To check road status during your trip, you can go to the Department of Transportation website or call 800-427-7623 and enter the highway number you want to know about. Tioga Pass is on Hwy 120.
San Francisco to Las Vegas by Automobile, Alternate Scenic Route
650 miles, 11.5 hoursThis route veers north to avoid the high mountain passes, but still follows scenic US Hwy 395 and going through Death Valley.
Take I-80 east toward Sacramento, then US Hwy 50 toward South Lake Tahoe. Turn south onto Hwy 89 toward Markleeville, then follow US 395 south, turning left (east) onto Hwy 136 at Lone Pine, which will become Hwy 190. Turn left onto North Hwy, then right onto Daylight Pass Rd toward Beatty, crossing into Nevada. Daylight Pass becomes Hwy 374. Turn right onto US Hwy 95 and take it to Las Vegas.
I-80 is the route that all northern California skiers take to get to the slopes around Lake Tahoe and can be extremely busy and full of traffic jams on Fridays. Try to go on another day if you can. While less prone to closure than Tioga Pass, sections of this route can also be closed by snow and ice. Check road status at the Department of Transportation website or call 800-427-7623.
San Francisco to Las Vegas by Air
About 1.5 hoursYou may be surprised to find that air travel between San Francisco and Las Vegas isn't much more expensive than taking the bus and it's much faster. Learn about the San Francisco area airports.
Southwest Airlines operates between San Francisco, Oakland or San Jose and Las Vegas. They do not participate in any of the online travel sites and you should always check directly with their website and reserve as far in advance as you can to get their lowest rates.
For all other airlines, you can compare air fares using Kayak.com. The airport code for Las Vegas is LAS. San Francisco is SFO, Oakland OAK and San Jose SJC.
San Francisco to Las Vegas by Bus or Rail
Other options are limited and time-consuming:- Greyhound operates buses between San Francisco and Las Vegas. It takes about 14 hours and costs $80 to $90 each way.
- Green Tortoise (the hostel company) runs buses from San Francisco to Las Vegas on selected Fridays April through October for $62.
- To make the trip on Amtrak, you'd have to take a train to either Los Angeles or Reno, then use their bus service.
