Origin
Livermore, CA
Late night in Livermore on Tuesday
Local time
3:34 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Livermore, CA to San Jose, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
31.1 mi
50 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Livermore, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting Livermore to San Jose, this 34.6-mile trip is a quick journey across the Pacific Coast region. You can expect to reach your destination in about 40 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting $5 for fuel should be sufficient for this short distance. Because the route is entirely local, you won't need to worry about long-haul highway fatigue. It serves as a straightforward transit between these two California cities, offering a practical way to navigate the region without the need for complex planning or multi-day itineraries.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 680 | 8.3 mi | 9m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 8.3 mi | 9m |
| Vallecitos Road | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| Isabel Avenue | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| North 1st Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Mission Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Stanley Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Railroad Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 680
— 8.3 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Livermore, CA and San Jose, CA.
1
Start on CR J2
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Livermore Avenue
2
Turn left onto Railroad Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Railroad Avenue
3
Continue on East Stanley Boulevard
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
East Stanley Boulevard
4
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
5
At end of road, turn left onto Isabel Avenue
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Isabel Avenue
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on CA 84
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Vallecitos Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Toward I 680 South: Fremont, San Jose
8
Merge onto I 680
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
I 680
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 12
Toward CA 262
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward CA 262: Northwestern Polytechnic University, Warm Springs District
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto CA 262
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Mission Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 880
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 4A
Toward Downtown, North First Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn left onto North 1st Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North 1st Street
Use the left / uturn lanes.
15
Turn right onto West Julian Street
494 ft
·
17 sec
·
West Julian Street
16
Turn left onto North Market Street
196 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Market Street
17
Arrive at destination
North Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 2.3 and 29.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Isabel Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Isabel Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
10.2 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 680 South: Fremont, San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 680 South: Fremont, San Jose
7
19 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward CA 262
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 12
Toward CA 262
9
19.1 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 262: Northwestern Polytechnic University, Warm Springs District
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 262: Northwestern Polytechnic Univers...
8
29.2 mi into trip
|
~38m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.15 one way
$14.30 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.37 | $14.73 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.56 | $15.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.87 | $13.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.27 | $1.49 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Late night in San Jose on Tuesday
Local time
3:34 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Areas Of Fog
SSE 2 mph
21% chance
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
42m 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 rather than a monotonous interstate cruise on this route. With a highway share of 0%, your focus will remain on navigating local roads for the entire 34.6 miles. This setup gives the drive a more technical feel compared to high-speed transit, requiring you to stay attentive through every turn. Because there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, the road keeps you engaged from start to finish. You will find that the lack of highway miles creates a distinct, hands-on driving experience that changes pace as you move through local corridors.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.3 mi on I 680.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.3 miles in near Isabel Avenue.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 31.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.3 miles (Isabel Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
835 ft
10 ft
Total Climb
862 ft
Total Descent
1,272 ft
Highest Point
835 ft
~6.7 mi in
Elevation Range
825 ft
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.
Between Livermore, CA and San Jose, CA, road signs point toward Warm Springs District and Downtown.
Warm Springs District
19.1 mi in
|
~25m
Downtown
29.2 mi in
|
~38m
About the Cities
Starting in Livermore, CA
Full guide →Founded 1869
Top landmarks
- • Concannon Vineyard — the second-largest winery in the Livermore Valley of California
- • Livermore Carnegie Library and Park — Carnegie library in Livermore, California, United States
- • Bank of Italy — historic place in Livermore, 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 42m. Total distance: 31.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.3 miles on I 680. 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: at 2.3 miles (Isabel Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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