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Trip from Menlo Park, 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

30m

Distance

20.6 mi

33 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m

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 in San Mateo County, California, United States

Menlo Park, CA

Wikimedia Commons

city and county seat of Santa Clara County, California, United States

San Jose, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Connecting Menlo Park to San Jose, this 20.6-mile trip is a straightforward transit across the Pacific Coast region. You can easily complete the drive in about 28 minutes, making it a perfect day trip that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting around $3 for fuel should cover your needs for this short distance. Since the route relies entirely on local roads, you won't encounter any highway driving during your journey. Whether you are heading south for business or a quick visit, this trip offers a simple, no-fuss connection between two major Peninsula hubs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Bayshore Freeway 14 mi 16m
Guadalupe Freeway 2.5 mi 2m
Willow Road 1 mi 3m
Middlefield Road 0.8 mi 1m
Ravenswood Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
West Saint James Street 0.2 mi <1m
West Julian Street 0.1 mi <1m
El Camino Real <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Bayshore Freeway — 14 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on this road

121 ft · 14 sec · this road
2

Turn left

38 ft · 7 sec
3

Turn left onto Merrill Street

260 ft · 18 sec · Merrill Street
4

Turn left onto Santa Cruz Avenue

308 ft · 12 sec · Santa Cruz Avenue
5

Turn left onto CA 82

445 ft · 15 sec · El Camino Real
Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Turn left onto Ravenswood Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Ravenswood Avenue
Use the left lane.
7

Turn right onto Middlefield Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Middlefield Road
8

Turn left onto Willow Road

1.0 mi · 3 min · Willow Road
Use the left / uturn / straight lanes.
9

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
10

Merge onto US 101

5.7 mi · 6 min · Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

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.
12

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 52 sec
Exit 390 Toward CA 87 South: Guadalupe Parkway Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Continue on CA 87

2.5 mi · 2 min · Guadalupe Freeway
Use the straight lane.
14

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Exit 6B Toward Julian Street, Saint James Street Use the slight right lane.
15

Turn left onto West Julian Street

0.1 mi · 22 sec · West Julian Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
16

Continue on West Saint James Street

0.2 mi · 28 sec · West Saint James Street
Use the straight lane.
17

Turn left onto North Market Street

416 ft · 8 sec · North Market Street
18

Arrive at destination

North Market Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 19.9 — 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

Turn left

Navigation decision point

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Santa Cruz Avenue

Turn left onto Santa Cruz Avenue

Navigation decision point

8
8.6 mi into trip | ~15m 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
16.9 mi into trip | ~24m 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
19.9 mi into trip | ~28m 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

$4.73 one way

$9.47 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $4.88 $9.76
premium $6.18 $5.01 $10.02
diesel $5.61 $4.55 $9.10

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.2 0 $2.16 $0.99
Efficient EV 5.2 0 $1.80 $0.82
EV Truck/SUV 8.2 0 $2.88 $1.32

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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

Menlo Park, CA

Late night in Menlo Park on Tuesday

Local time

2:21 AM

PDT

Current temp

73°F

Sunny

NW 8 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 1:51PM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS San Diego CA

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 11:09AM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA

Destination

San Jose, CA

Late night in San Jose on Tuesday

Local time

2:21 AM

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.

Temperature spread

24 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

30m 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 an open highway experience. Your path takes you along Merrill Street, Santa Cruz Avenue, and El Camino Real, keeping your focus on neighborhood navigation. With 0% of the journey spent on highways, the pace remains steady and urban throughout the 20.6 miles. There is no "longest stretch" here, as the route is defined by consistent turns on local streets. You will find this drive demands more active steering and attention to traffic signals than a typical interstate trek.

81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14 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.

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 14 decision points packed into just 20.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Santa Cruz Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.6 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.

On the drive from Menlo Park, CA to San Jose, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Los Angeles along the way.

Los Angeles

8.6 mi in | ~15m | via US 101

About the Cities

Starting in Menlo Park, CA

Full guide →

Top landmarks

  • • Menlo Park station — railway station in Menlo Park, California
  • • Church of the Nativity — Menlo Park, 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 30m. Total distance: 20.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 14 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Santa Cruz Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.6 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. 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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