Origin
Burlingame, CA
Afternoon in Burlingame on Sunday
Local time
2:15 PM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Burlingame, CA to San Jose, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
33.2 mi
53 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burlingame, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Burlingame to San Jose covers a short 33.2-mile distance that typically takes about 36 minutes to complete. Because this is a quick journey within the Pacific Coast region, it is perfectly suited for a simple day trip that requires no overnight stay. You should budget approximately $5 for fuel to cover the distance between these two California hubs. Since the route is entirely local, you gain significant flexibility in your schedule, allowing you to head out whenever it best suits your plans. It is a straightforward commute that avoids the complexities of a multi-day road trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bayshore Freeway | 28.7 mi | 33m |
| Guadalupe Freeway | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| Broadway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West Saint James Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Julian Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| El Camino Real | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bayshore Freeway
— 28.7 mi, about 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Burlingame, CA and San Jose, CA.
1
Start on CA 82
70 ft
·
5 sec
·
El Camino Real
2
Turn right onto Broadway
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Broadway
Use the right lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Merge onto US 101
20 mi
·
23 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
8.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Toward US 101 South: San Jose, Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 390
Toward CA 87 South: Guadalupe Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on CA 87
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Guadalupe Freeway
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 6B
Toward Julian Street, Saint James Street
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn left onto West Julian Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Julian Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Continue on West Saint James Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
West Saint James Street
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn left onto North Market Street
416 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Market Street
12
Arrive at destination
North Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 32.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Broadway
Turn right onto Broadway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward US 101 South: San Jose
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
8
21.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101 / Bayshore Freeway toward US 101 South: San Jose, Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 101 South: San Jose, Los Angeles
7
29.6 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward CA 87 South: Guadalupe Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 390
Toward CA 87 South: Guadalupe Parkway
8
32.5 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward Julian Street, Saint James Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 6B
Toward Julian Street, Saint James Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.63 one way
$15.26 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.86 | $15.73 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.07 | $16.15 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.33 | $14.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
| Efficient EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.91 | $1.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.65 | $2.12 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
San Jose, CA
Afternoon in San Jose on Sunday
Local time
2:15 PM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
40m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. With a 0% highway share, you will navigate through local streets rather than cruising along high-speed interstates. This profile means the road's personality is defined by frequent turns and changing conditions rather than long, monotonous stretches. You won't find any extended, uninterrupted segments on this trip, so stay alert for changing traffic patterns. It is an active driving experience that feels very different from a standard highway slog.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.7 mi on Bayshore Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bayshore Freeway and Guadalupe Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Broadway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 33.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 21.2 miles (US 101 / Bayshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Burlingame, CA to San Jose, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Los Angeles along the way.
Los Angeles
21.2 mi in
|
~25m
|
via US 101
About the Cities
Starting in Burlingame, CA
Full guide →Burlingame is a city of 31,000 people (2020) in California's Bay Area on the Peninsula. This suburb of San Francisco is known for its numerous eucalyptus groves, and walkable downtown area.
Arriving in San Jose, CA
Full guide →Often called "the capital of Silicon Valley", San Jose is the largest city in the Bay Area, 3rd largest in California, and the 12th largest city in the United States, with a population of over 997,000 residents as of 2024. It was named the 6th safest big city in the U.S. in 2015. This clean, sprawling metropolis has sports, beautiful vistas, and ethnic enclaves and bleeds into the greater Bay Area for travelers who want to take their time in Northern California.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 33.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28.7 miles on Bayshore Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at San Jose, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 21.2 miles (US 101 / Bayshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (4 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Jose, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From San Jose, CA
More from Burlingame, CA
More trips to San Jose, CA
Explore more options from Burlingame, CA or browse trips ending in San Jose, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.