California Toll & Bridge Calculator
Calculate Bay Area bridge tariffs, Golden Gate southbound fees, and Southern California TCA toll road charges with FasTrak discounts.
- •BATA state-owned bridges charge one flat toll at all hours; tolls are collected in one direction only.
- •Rates effective January 1, 2026.
How California Toll Tariffs Are Calculated
Mathematical formulas and step-by-step arithmetic breakdown
Worked Example Calculation: Bay Area Commute Crossings
Consider a daily commuter crossing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge during peak hours, followed by a weekend trip across the Golden Gate Bridge in a standard 2-axle passenger vehicle:
- SF-Oakland Bay Bridge (Peak Hours, FasTrak): $8.50
- Golden Gate Bridge (Southbound, FasTrak): $10.25
- Combined Crossing Expense: $18.75
- Invoice Comparison: Paying both crossings by toll invoice costs $19.75, or $1.00 more than FasTrak.
- Multi-Axle Truck: A 5-axle commercial truck on the Bay Bridge pays $30.50 with FasTrak.
- SoCal Comparison: The SR-73 Catalina View mainline toll ranges from $7.14 (weekend) to $9.74 (weekday peak) with a FasTrak account.
Transit Note: Planning an inter-city trip across California? Cross-reference total drive times with our California driving mileage and drive time calculator.
California-Specific Nuance: All-Electronic Tolling & Southbound Rules
Understanding cash-free enforcement and regional directional tolling policies
The Cashless Bridge Transition
Cash toll collectors no longer staff toll booths anywhere on the California State Highway System or on Golden Gate Bridge facilities. All toll points utilize overhead high-speed gantries that read FasTrak transponders at highway speeds or capture high-resolution imagery of license plates. Drivers without a FasTrak transponder pay through a license plate account or a mailed toll invoice. On the Golden Gate Bridge that costs $0.25 to $1.00 more per crossing. BATA bridges charge the same $8.50 toll for every payment method through 2026, and a premium for license plate accounts and invoices begins January 1, 2027.
Directional Tolling on the Golden Gate
Unlike many multi-state bridges that toll round trips or both directions, the Golden Gate Bridge charges strictly in the Southbound direction (heading into San Francisco). Heading north into Sausalito, Marin County, and the Sonoma wine country is completely free.
Frequently Asked Questions About California Tolls
Rules from the Bay Area Toll Authority and Golden Gate Bridge District
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge charges a flat $8.50 toll for 2-axle vehicles at all hours (rates effective January 1, 2026), whether you pay with FasTrak, a license plate account, or a toll invoice ($8.50). Carpools with 3 or more occupants pay $4.25 in the designated carpool lanes on weekdays from 5–10 AM and 3–7 PM.
No. Tolls on the Golden Gate Bridge are collected only in the southbound direction into San Francisco; northbound travel into Marin County is toll-free. Since July 1, 2026 the 2-axle toll is $10.25 with FasTrak, $10.50 with a license plate account or one-time payment, and $11.25 by toll invoice.
No. All seven state-owned Bay Area bridges and the Golden Gate Bridge use all-electronic tolling, and cash is not accepted at the toll plazas. Vehicles without a FasTrak tag are identified by license plate and billed through a license plate account, one-time payment, or a toll invoice mailed to the registered owner.
Since January 1, 2026, all seven BATA bridges require 3 or more occupants (or 2 in a 2-seater vehicle) for the $4.25 carpool toll during weekday commute hours. Except on the Bay Bridge, you must use a FasTrak Flex tag set to "3". On the Golden Gate Bridge, 3+ occupant carpools with FasTrak pay $7.25 on weekdays from 5–9 AM and 4–6 PM.
The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) operate State Routes 73, 133, 241, and 261 in Orange County. Tolls vary by toll point, direction, and time of day. For example, the SR-73 Catalina View mainline toll for a 2-axle vehicle ranges from $7.14 on weekends to $9.74 in the weekday peak with a FasTrak account. Drivers without an account pay the peak toll ($9.74) online or in The Toll Roads app within 5 days of the trip.