The distance from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe is roughly 200 miles by road. Driving directly from the city to the North Lake Tahoe area such as Tahoe City is about 199-200 miles, and it takes approximately 3 hours and 15 to 4 hours depending on traffic and weather. For South Lake Tahoe, the distance is about 188 to 190 miles and the drive takes roughly the same amount of time, around 3 hours and 15 to 4 hours. The drive times can vary greatly depending on traffic conditions, especially on weekends and holidays.

By air, the direct flight distance (as the crow flies) from San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe is about 155 miles (249 km) and flight duration is around 0.28 hours (about 17 minutes), though total travel time includes airport procedures and ground transport.

In summary:

Route| Distance (miles)| Driving Time
---|---|---
San Francisco to North Lake Tahoe (Tahoe City)| ~199-200| ~3 hr 18 min to 4 hr
San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe| ~188-190| ~3 hr 15 min to 4 hr

This provides a good estimate of how far and long the journey takes by road from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe.