Origin
Morgan Hill, CA
Afternoon in Morgan Hill on Sunday
Local time
3:16 PM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Morgan Hill, 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
29m
Distance
22.6 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Morgan Hill, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling the 23 miles between Morgan Hill and San Jose is a straightforward commute that typically takes about 27 minutes. You will primarily navigate via Butterfield Boulevard, Cochrane Road, and US 101 North to complete this journey. Because the trip is so short, it functions perfectly as a single-day excursion, meaning there is no need to worry about overnight logistics. Budgeting around $3 for fuel should be sufficient to cover the distance between these two Pacific Coast locations. Overall, this drive is a practical, efficient connection that links two neighboring South Bay communities without any required stops along the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Valley Freeway | 8.4 mi | 9m |
| CA 85 | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Guadalupe Parkway | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| Butterfield Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Cochrane Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Guadalupe Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Main Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Saint James Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Valley Freeway
— 8.4 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Morgan Hill, CA and San Jose, CA.
1
Start on East Main Avenue
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
East Main Avenue
2
Turn left onto Butterfield Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Butterfield Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Turn right onto Cochrane Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Cochrane Road
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Toward US 101 North: San Jose
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto US 101
8.4 mi
·
9 min
·
South Valley Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 85
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
CA 85
Exit 377B
Toward CA 85 North: Cupertino, Mountain View
Use the slight right lane.
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
51 sec
Exit 5A
Toward CA 87 North: Downtown San Jose
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on CA 87
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Guadalupe Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on CA 87
0.4 mi
·
29 sec
·
Guadalupe Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 6
Toward CA 82
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
Toward CA 87 North: Santa Clara Street, Julian Street
Use the slight left lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward CA 87 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 6B
Toward Julian Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto West Saint James Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
West Saint James Street
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn left onto North Market Street
416 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Market Street
16
Arrive at destination
North Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 10.7 and 22.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
10.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
CA 85
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 85 toward CA 85 North: Cupertino, Mountain View
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 377B
Toward CA 85 North: Cupertino, Mountain View
7
15.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward CA 87 North: Downtown San Jose
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 5A
Toward CA 87 North: Downtown San Jose
7
21.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward CA 82
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6
Toward CA 82
8
21.5 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 87 North: Santa Clara Street, Julian Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward CA 87 North: Santa Clara Street, Julian...
9
22.2 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Julian Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward Julian Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.19 one way
$10.39 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.35 | $10.71 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.50 | $10.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.99 | $9.98 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.37 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.98 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.16 | $1.45 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
3:16 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.
Temperature spread
2 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
29m 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 demands your full attention as you transition between city streets and the highway. You will not encounter any significant uninterrupted stretches, as the longest segment is 0 miles on Butterfield Boulevard. With a highway share of 0%, the route relies heavily on local thoroughfares rather than long-distance interstate cruising. The experience is defined by the technical nature of navigating local turns rather than the monotony of a high-speed highway grind. Stay alert as you transition from the quieter streets of Morgan Hill toward the more complex traffic patterns found near San Jose.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.4 mi on South Valley Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South Valley Freeway and CA 85. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 10.7 miles in near CA 85.
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 22.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 10.7 miles (CA 85): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Morgan Hill, CA to San Jose, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Mountain View along the way.
Mountain View
10.7 mi in
|
~14m
|
via CA 85
About the Cities
Starting in Morgan Hill, CA
Full guide →Founded 1906
Morgan Hill is a city in Santa Clara County, California, at the southern tip of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of 45,000 in 2020, Morgan Hill is primarily an bedroom community for Silicon Valley, as well as the seat for several high-tech companies.
Top landmarks
- • Villa Mira Monte — historic house in Morgan Hill, California, USA
- • Malaguerra Winery — Winery in Morgan Hill, California, USA.
- • Rhoades Ranch — Historic American Craftsman ranch, located near Morgan Hill, California.
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 29m. Total distance: 22.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m 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 8.4 miles on South Valley 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: at 10.7 miles (CA 85): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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