There is a moment, somewhere past the last San Francisco exit, when the city finally lets go and I-5 opens up ahead of you. That is the start of one of the most driven routes in America: roughly 635 miles and 10 hours of wheel time to Portland. Done right, it is not a slog. It is a string of good towns, better food stops and a couple of sights worth the detour.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving San Francisco
Aim to clear San Francisco before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 229 miles to Redding.
The headline stop on this route is Shasta Lake from the Pit River Bridge. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Redding
Redding sits about 229 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Ashland's Shakespeare Festival is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Medford, the last stretch
Medford sits about 374 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Portland
The final 260 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Willamette Valley wineries; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Shasta Lake from the Pit River Bridge, Ashland's Shakespeare Festival and Willamette Valley wineries, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
Split the drive near the halfway mark. Most travelers sleep in Redding, CA or Medford, OR, which keeps each day under eight hours and leaves time for the stops that make the trip.
Check live gas prices along I-5 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
