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The Golden State of USA, California is one of the busiest tourist destinations in the country: Golden Gate Bridge, Disneyland California, Big Sur, and nine national parks including Yosemite National Park, Death Valley National Park and Sequoia National Park. California is also home to some of the most expensive toll roads in America: 17-Mile Drive and SR-73 of Orange County. Other major toll facilities you’ll encounter include:

• San Francisco Bay Area Bridges
  
• 91 Express Lanes
  
• South Bay Expressway (SR 125 toll road)
  

With most of the toll plazas being electronic, a FasTrak tag transponder is the preferred toll payment method in California. It enables on-the-go toll payment with dedicated lanes. Carpools and Electric vehicles avail high toll discounts with FasTrak Flex. If you use a FasTrak only lane without a valid tag, the toll authority will send a toll bill with penalty to the vehicle owner.

Use CA Toll Calculator or California Toll Calculator to calculate tolls and gas costs for your trip across California and other US states toll facilities.

California Toll Calculator

California toll roads

The toll roads in California include the following stretches across the state:

The South Bay Expressway (SR 125 toll road)  stretches from the Otay Mesa border crossing north through Chula Vista to SR-54, providing access to Downtown San Diego. The road is operated by San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).

Eastern Toll Roads (SR 133), Foothill Toll Road (SR-241), Eastern Toll Roads (SR 241/SR 261), San Joaquin Hills Toll Road (SR 73) are part of the Eastern Transportation Corridor  system.

SR 133 is a freeway (the Laguna Freeway) to I-5, and a tollway (part of the Eastern Toll Road) to SR 241 near the Santa Ana Mountains. SR 241 toll road’s northern half is part of the Eastern Transportation Corridor while its southern half is part of the Foothill Transportation Corridor. The highway currently runs from Rancho Santa Margarita to Yorba Linda. State Route 261 (SR 261) connects State Route 241 with I-5.

Cash is no longer accepted in any of the Eastern Transportation Corridor system roads.

California toll bridges

Following is the list of all toll bridges in California.

• The Antioch Bridge
• The Benicia–Martinez Bridge
• The Carquinez Bridge
• The Dumbarton Bridge
• Golden Gate bridge
• The Richmond–San Rafael Bridge
• The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
• The San Mateo–Hayward Bridge

Read on to learn more about each bridge with their toll maps, toll rates including the toll on i-80 in California.

The Antioch Bridge

The Antioch Bridge  crosses the San Joaquin River linking Antioch with Sherman Island in southern Sacramento County, near Isleton. Tolls are collected in the eastbound direction. The toll rate for passenger cars is $6. During peak traffic hours (Monday through Friday between 5 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m), 3+ carpools and motorcycles pay a toll of $3.

The Benicia-Martinez Bridge

The Benicia–Martinez Bridge  links Benicia on the north side with Martinez on the south. Tolls are only collected in the eastbound direction. The toll rate for passenger cars is $6. During peak traffic hours (Monday through Friday between 5 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m), 3+ carpools and motorcycles pay a toll of $3.

Carquinez Bridge

The Carquinez Bridge  spans the Carquinez Strait, forming part of Interstate 80 between Crockett and Vallejo. Tolls are only collected eastbound, towards Vallejo. The toll rate for passenger cars is $6. During peak traffic hours (Monday through Friday between 5 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m), 3+ carpools and motorcycles pay a toll of $3.

The Dumbarton Bridge

The Dumbarton Bridge  connects Fremont, near Newark in the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge to Menlo Park. Tolls are only collected in westbound direction. The toll rate for passenger cars is $6. During peak traffic hours (Monday through Friday between 5 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m), 3+ carpools and motorcycles pay a toll of $3.

Golden Gate Bridge

Main article: Golden Gate Bridge toll

The iconic Golden Gate bridge  connects San Francisco to Marin County, carrying both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait. The toll is only collected in southbound direction. For passenger cars, it costs $7.35 for FasTrak user, $8.20 for Toll-by-plate user and $8.35 for invoice users to use the bridge. Buses, Carpools (THREE or more people) and Motorcycles with FasTrak toll tags pay discounted toll ($5.35) on weekdays (except holidays) from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Refer to the [Golden Gate Bridge tolls for detials of toll rates, toll payment methods and more.

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

The Richmond–San Rafael Bridge  bridges I-580 from Richmond on the east to San Rafael on the west. Tolls are only collected from westbound traffic headed to San Rafael. The toll rate for passenger cars is $6. During peak traffic hours (Monday through Friday between 5 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m), 3+ carpools and motorcycles pay a toll of $3.

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge  bridges I-80 between San Francisco and Oakland. It has one of the longest spans in the United States. The tolls are based on time of travel. Passenger cars pay $7 toll during peak hours (from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday), $5 toll during non-peak hours on Monday through Friday and $6 on weekends. During peak traffic hours (Monday through Friday between 5 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m), 3+ carpools and motorcycles pay a reduced toll of $3.

The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge

The San Mateo–Hayward Bridge  links the San Francisco Peninsula with the East Bay. The bridge’s western end is in Foster City and the eastern end is in Hayward. Tolls are only collected from westbound traffic. The toll rate for passenger cars is $6. During peak traffic hours (Monday through Friday between 5 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m), 3+ carpools and motorcycles pay a toll of $3.

The 17-Mile Drive  is a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove. The drive serves as the main road through the gated community of Pebble Beach. Inside this community, nonresidents need to pay a toll to use the road.

California express lanes

Currently, there are the following five express lanes in California:

• 91 express lanes: It is an 18-mile (29 km) high-occupancy toll road contained entirely within the median of the Riverside Freeway in Orange and Riverside counties. The 91 Express Lanes run from the junction of SR 91 with the SR 55 Freeway (Costa Mesa Freeway) in Anaheim to its junction with I-15 in Corona.

• I-10 and I-110 Express lanes
• I-15 Express Lanes
• I-580 Express Lanes
• I-680 Contra Costa Express Lanes

How are tolls calculated for trucks in California

Trucks in California pay tolls based on the number of axles. Tolls mainly vary based on the number of axles and how far you have travelled on California toll roads, bridges and express lanes. For 3-4 axles vehicles, you have to pay two times the toll for 2 axle vehicles and 5 axles vehicles pay tolls three times the toll for 2 axle vehicles. 

Trucks are not allowed on the SR-91 Express lanes.

Does Califonia have truck-only lanes 

Currently, California has two truck-only toll road lanes. 

1. Northbound and southbound I-5 in Los Angeles County at the State Route 14 split.
2. Southbound I-5 in Kern County at the State Route 99 junction near the Grapevine.

Truckers can calculate toll costs for trucks using Truck Toll Calculator along compliant routes.

Truck Toll Calculator

Pay toll in California

Main article: How to Pay Toll in California

In California, you can pay tolls via the Fastrak system, via Pay by plate video toll system, cash, phone or by mail. A NationalPass can also be used to pay tolls.

However, do note that the various toll payment methods in California do not apply throughout its toll roads, bridges and other tolled facilities. Like, some may accept cash while others don't. Electronic tag transponder is the preferred method of payment.

Pay missed toll in California

Main article: How to Pay Missed Toll in California

In California, if you pass a toll lane without valid FasTrak or other toll payment accounts, it is considered missed toll. In such case, the tolling agency sends the vehicle owner a toll invoice. You have to follow the instruction on the invoice to pay toll either online or offline within stipulated time to avoid its escalation.

Learn more about missed toll payment methods in California.

What toll pass does California use: FasTrak

The only toll pass that California state issues and accepts is FasTrak. FasTrak holds good on almost all the California toll facilities.

This electronic toll collection system works the same as an EZ-Pass however, the two toll tags are different. E-ZPass is not valid in California while FasTrak does not work in 17 E-ZPass states on the east coast. You can place it on your windshield and the relevant toll payment(s) shall be deducted from your linked bank account every time you cross the toll roads, toll bridges, and high-occupancy toll lanes along the California Freeway and Expressway System. The FasTrak toll tag comes in various account types and a carpool variant: FasTrak Flex.

California toll roads and other toll facilities agencies and contacts

The following agencies manage California toll roads, bridges and express lanes. For any questions about toll payment methods or your toll bill, please get in touch with the respective agency.

• Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District
• San Diego Association of Governments
• Bay Area Toll Authority
• Pebble Beach Corporation
• Eastern Transportation Corridor system
• Orange County Transportation Authority
• FasTrak

Calculate tolls for California and other states in the US

Calculate routes, tolls and fuel costs for your travel by car, truck, taxi, bus, caravans (with or without a trailer) in California and other states of the US using TollGuru Trip Calculator. It also shows the cheapest, fastest and other optimal routes to your destination along with toll plaza(s) location en route, payment methods and more.

TollGuru Trip Calculator

Rideshare, OEM, TMS, fleet companies and other transport businesses can leverage toll intelligence by integrating with the TollGuru Toll API for pre-trip calculation and post-trip reconciliation.

See also

• US state tolls and toll passes
• Worldwide tolls

• Nevada tolls
• Arizona tolls

• Baja California (Mexico) tolls

References