Day Trippin' › California › From San Francisco › Bixby Creek Bridge
The drive from San Francisco to Bixby Creek Bridge takes about 2 hr 11 min (south of San Francisco), by real roads from ZIP 94103. Along the way we found 77 stops within a short detour: 14 coffee shops, 5 bakeries, 16 ice cream and treats and 23 places to eat.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from San Francisco) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0
Viewpoint
Photo stop for the tall arched bridge on Highway 1 in Big Sur.
Heads-up: Parking is on the roadside. Check Highway 1 status. Highway 1 through Big Sur reopened Jan 2026; no-parking zone near the bridge since May 2026 (one year); check Caltrans for fire-related closures
First third Middle third Last third Bixby Creek Bridge
About 2 hr 11 min by road, heading south from the middle of ZIP 94103. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Original Joe's (San Jose). The page lists 32 in all, in driving order.
Andersen Bakery in Union City, Boba Nation in Mowry Landing, Sheng Kee Bakery in Milpitas and Fantasia in Milpitas. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Gerry's Grill and Bar in Union City, Lulu Poke in Union City, ID Cafe in Mowry Landing and HUNGRY-COW K BBQ in Fremont.
Japanese Teahouse in Mattos, Wings of History Air Museum in San Martin, Giant artichoke in Castroville and Monterey County Fairgrounds in Retreat.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.