City comparison
Redwood City, CA is about 50 miles (80 km) from San Francisco, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 59 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Redwood City, CA to San Francisco, CA takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
San Francisco has a population of 851,036, vs 83,077 in Redwood City — about 10.2× larger by population. By land area, San Francisco covers about 47 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Redwood City.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Redwood City | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,899/mo | $2,316/mo | 25.2% higher in Redwood City |
| Median home value | $1,777,600 | $1,348,700 | 31.8% higher in Redwood City |
| Median household income | $145,620 | $136,689 | 6.5% higher in Redwood City |
| Groceries index | 107.4 | 103.9 | 3.3% higher in Redwood City |
| Utilities index | 165.0 | 162.7 | 1.4% higher in Redwood City |
| Transportation index | 104.8 | 102.0 | 2.7% higher in Redwood City |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 100.2 | 4.6% higher in Redwood City |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Redwood City, you'd need $96,607 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Francisco, CA is about 3.4% cheaper overall than Redwood City, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Redwood City than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Redwood City, you'd need about $77,286 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.