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Trip from Fremont, CA to San Jose, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

24m

Distance

17.3 mi

28 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 22m ★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city and county seat of Santa Clara County, California, United States

San Jose, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling between Fremont and San Jose is a quick, straightforward journey covering 18.3 miles along the Pacific Coast. You can easily complete this drive in about 25 minutes, making it a perfect day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel cost of just $2, it is a highly economical route for commuters or casual travelers. Since both cities are located within the Pacific Coast region, you will experience a consistent coastal environment throughout the entire trip. This drive is ideal for those looking for a simple, efficient connection between two major local hubs without the need for extensive travel planning.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Nimitz Freeway 13.5 mi 15m
Mowry Avenue 1.6 mi 3m
North 1st Street 1.5 mi 3m
West Julian Street <0.1 mi <1m
North Market Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Nimitz Freeway — 13.5 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Fremont, CA and San Jose, CA.

1

Start on Mowry Avenue

109 ft · 4 sec · Mowry Avenue
2

Continue on Mowry Avenue

1.4 mi · 3 min · Mowry Avenue
Use the left lane.
3

Continue on Mowry Avenue

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Mowry Avenue
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward I 880 South: San Jose Use the right lane.
5

Merge onto I 880

14 mi · 15 min · Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Exit 4A Toward Downtown, North First Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Turn left onto North 1st Street

1.5 mi · 3 min · North 1st Street
Use the left / uturn lanes.
8

Turn right onto West Julian Street

494 ft · 17 sec · West Julian Street
9

Turn left onto North Market Street

196 ft · 6 sec · North Market Street
10

Arrive at destination

North Market Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 17.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in

Take the ramp toward I 880 South: San Jose

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 880 South: San Jose
5
1.9 mi into trip | ~4m in | I 880 / Nimitz Freeway

Merge onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
15.4 mi into trip | ~19m in

Take the exit toward Downtown, North First Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 4A Toward Downtown, North First Street
4
15.6 mi into trip | ~20m in | North 1st Street

Turn left onto North 1st Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / uturn lanes.
5
17.2 mi into trip | ~24m in | North Market Street

Turn left onto North Market Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.98 one way

$7.95 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $4.10 $8.20
premium $6.18 $4.21 $8.41
diesel $5.61 $3.82 $7.64

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.2 0 $1.82 $0.83
Efficient EV 4.3 0 $1.51 $0.69
EV Truck/SUV 6.9 0 $2.42 $1.11

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Fremont, CA

Late night in Fremont on Tuesday

Local time

3:49 AM

PDT

Current temp

46°F

Clear

N 7 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 8:46PM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 8:09PM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Destination

San Jose, CA

Late night in San Jose on Tuesday

Local time

3:49 AM

PDT

Current temp

42°F

Clear

NW 5 to 14 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 8:46PM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 8:09PM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

4 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

24m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 prioritizes navigation over long-distance cruising. You will primarily utilize Mowry Avenue, I-880 South, and the Nimitz Freeway to navigate between your destinations. Because this route has a highway share of 0%, you should prepare for a more involved driving experience rather than a monotonous interstate grind. There is no long-distance highway stretch here, with the longest segment being 0 miles on Mowry Avenue. You will find that the road surface and traffic patterns remain relatively uniform as you transition from Fremont into the heart of San Jose.

78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on Nimitz Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Nimitz Freeway and Mowry Avenue. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 24m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.

On the drive from Fremont, CA to San Jose, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.

Downtown

15.4 mi in | ~19m

About the Cities

Starting in Fremont, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1956

Fremont is a suburban city in the southern part of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area by population. Fremont is in the southern part of Alameda County, California, between Union City to the north, Sunol and the hills to the east, Milpitas and Santa Clara County to the south, and the San Francisco Bay to the west. The city of Newark, near the edge of the Bay, is surrounded by the city of Fremont. Fremont industry is not particularly large relative to other parts of the Bay Area, but neither is it a bedroom community. Many people in Fremont work locally in the electronics and high-tech industry, while many others commute to Silicon Valley or San Francisco locations for work.

Top landmarks

  • • Mission San José — 18th-century Spanish mission in Fremont, California
  • • Ardenwood Historic Farm — human settlement in California, United States of America
  • • Niles Depot Museum — railway museum in Niles, California

Arriving in San Jose, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1777

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.

Top landmarks

  • • Winchester Mystery House — Mansion in San Jose, California.
  • • San Jose Diridon station — railway station complex in San Jose, California
  • • Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum — building in San Jose, California, United States

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 24m. Total distance: 17.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (78%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 13.5 miles on Nimitz Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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: at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. 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.

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