Origin
San Anselmo, CA
Late night in San Anselmo on Tuesday
Local time
2:47 AM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Anselmo, 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
1h 21m
Distance
64.3 mi
103 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 16m
★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 35m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 27m
5 PM
1h 34m
8 PM
1h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Anselmo, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 64.3-mile drive from San Anselmo, CA to San Jose, CA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking about 1 hour and 21 minutes. Primarily a highway-focused experience, you'll spend 92% of your time on major freeways like I 880 and the Nimitz Freeway. With an estimated fuel cost of $15, it's an economical journey. The route is straightforward, making it ideal for a quick transit between these two Pacific Coast locations. There are no recommended overnight stops, and with zero designated stops in the data, you can decide on your own pacing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 27.4 mi | 31m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 14.3 mi | 18m |
| John T. Knox Freeway | 13.6 mi | 17m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Fourth Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| North 1st Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Red Hill Avenue | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Redwood Highway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 27.4 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Anselmo, CA and San Jose, CA.
1
Start on this road
30 ft
·
4 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
3
Turn right onto Red Hill Avenue
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
Red Hill Avenue
4
Continue on Fourth Street
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
·
Fourth Street
5
Keep slight left at fork onto Fourth Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Fourth Street
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto Hetherton Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Hetherton Street
Use the right lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Francisco, Oakland
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Merge onto US 101
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Redwood Highway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
14 mi
·
17 min
·
John T. Knox Freeway
Exit 451B
Toward I 580: Richmond Bridge, Oakland
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 80; I 580
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
·
Interstate Highway 80
Toward I 580 East, I 880 South: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockton, Alameda, San Jose
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880
14 mi
·
18 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Toward I 880: West Grand Avenue, Alameda, San Jose
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
19 mi
·
22 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 4A
Toward Downtown, North First Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Turn left onto North 1st Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North 1st Street
Use the left / uturn lanes.
18
Turn right onto West Julian Street
494 ft
·
17 sec
·
West Julian Street
19
Turn left onto North Market Street
196 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Market Street
20
Arrive at destination
North Market Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.1 miles from San Anselmo, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 2.4 and 62.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
2.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward US 101 South: San Francisco, Oakland
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward US 101 South: San Francisco, Oakland
9
3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway toward I 580: Richmond Bridge, Oakland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 451B
Toward I 580: Richmond Bridge, Oakland
8
20.4 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
I 580 / Interstate Highway 80
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580 / Interstate Highway 80 toward I 580 East, I 880 South: Downtown Oakland, Hayward, Stockton, Alameda, San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 580 East, I 880 South: Downtown Oaklan...
8
20.6 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway toward I 880: West Grand Avenue, Alameda, San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 880: West Grand Avenue, Alameda, San J...
8
62.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m 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
$14.78 one way
$29.56 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $15.23 | $30.46 |
| premium | $6.18 | $15.64 | $31.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.20 | $28.39 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.3 | 0 | $6.75 | $3.09 |
| Efficient EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.63 | $2.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.7 | 0 | $9.00 | $4.12 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
8 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
2:47 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
1 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
1h 21m 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 predominantly highway-focused drive for this 64.3-mile stretch. You'll be on major freeways for 92% of the journey, including significant portions of I 880 and the Nimitz Freeway. The longest continuous stretch without a planned interruption is 27.4 miles on I 880, offering a consistent driving experience. While the data doesn't detail specific scenery, the highway nature suggests a focus on efficient travel rather than scenic detours. This profile indicates a drive that prioritizes getting you to your destination smoothly and directly.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27.4 mi on I 880.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 64.3 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.4 miles (I 580 / Interstate Highway 80): 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.
Between San Anselmo, CA and San Jose, CA, road signs point toward Hayward, Stockton and Alameda.
Hayward
20.4 mi in
|
~27m
|
via I 580
Stockton
20.4 mi in
|
~27m
|
via I 580
Alameda
20.4 mi in
|
~27m
|
via I 580
About the Cities
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 1h 21m. Total distance: 64.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27.4 miles on I 880. 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 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.4 miles (I 580 / Interstate Highway 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, Muir Woods National Monument and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (6 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.
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