California Tolls

Question

We are road tripping from SF - Sacramento - Yosemite - San Jose - Monterey - Santa Monica - Death Valley - and then on to Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and down to Phoenix. As far as we can tell, there shouldn't be any tolls but I can't find any up to date info on FB and the information online is in list format so tricky to work out whether it's any roads that we are likely to hit. Can anyone confirm that we should be toll free for our journey, or advise otherwise? Thank you

Answer

For your planned California road trip—SF → Sacramento → Yosemite → San Jose → Monterey → Santa Monica → Death Valley → Bryce Canyon → Grand Canyon → Phoenix—the good news is that the majority of your route will be toll-free. California’s toll roads are limited and generally located in Southern California around Orange County and some Bay Area bridges.

Here’s a breakdown based on the segments of your journey:

San Francisco to Sacramento: This is mainly via I-80, which is toll-free. The only tolls in the Bay Area are certain bridges (e.g., Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge) if you choose to cross them. Most common SF → Sacramento routes avoid these unless you detour.
Sacramento to Yosemite: This route is via CA-120 or CA-140, both toll-free highways.
Yosemite to San Jose: Typically via CA-120/CA-99/I-580/I-680, all toll-free.
San Jose to Monterey: Usually CA-156/Highway 1, no tolls.
Monterey to Santa Monica: Depending on your choice of route: US-101 or I-5. Both are toll-free. Avoid I-405 express lanes near LA if you want to avoid tolls.
Santa Monica to Death Valley: Routes such as I-15 or CA-14/395 are toll-free.
Death Valley to Bryce Canyon: Highways like CA-190, US-95, and I-15 are toll-free.
Bryce Canyon to Grand Canyon to Phoenix: US-89, AZ-64, and I-17 are toll-free.

Additional considerations:

If you plan to use express lanes (for example, in Los Angeles or Orange County), those can have electronic tolls. Avoid them unless you are prepared to pay via FasTrak.
Bridges in the Bay Area: Only the Golden Gate Bridge (northbound into Marin) and the Bay Bridge (eastbound into Oakland) are tolled. Standard routes to Sacramento from SF via I-80 do not require tolls.
Parking and local fees in cities like San Francisco, Santa Monica, and LA may apply but are not highway tolls.

In summary, if you stick to the standard highways outlined above and avoid LA express lanes or Bay Area tolled bridges, your road trip should be completely toll-free. Always check current Caltrans or local highway websites for any temporary toll projects or construction updates.

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