Origin
San Jose, CA
Afternoon in San Jose on Friday
Local time
3:30 PM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Jose, CA to Corte Madera, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 11, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 20m
Distance
63.8 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 15m
★
6 AM
1h 21m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 33m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Corte Madera, CA
Robert So
Trip Overview
San Jose to Corte Madera is 63.8 miles and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes via I 880, with a fuel budget near $14 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within California's Pacific Coast region, primarily taking you north on major freeways. Given its relatively short distance and manageable duration, this is a straightforward trip for a single day. Expect a fairly direct route with most of your travel on highways, making it a quick transit between the South Bay and Marin County.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 26.4 mi | 30m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 16.8 mi | 20m |
| John T. Knox Freeway | 11.6 mi | 15m |
| Eastshore Freeway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Sir Francis Drake Boulevard East | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Coleman Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Redwood Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Tamalpais Drive | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 26.4 mi, about 30m
Traffic on I-880
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 20 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
1 PM
~5,299 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~674 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 99 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Jose, CA and Corte Madera, CA.
1
Start on North Market Street
196 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Market Street
2
Continue on Coleman Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Coleman Avenue
Use the straight lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 880
8.5 mi
·
9 min
·
I 880
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
18 mi
·
20 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 880
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Exit 46B
Toward I 80 East, I 580 West: San Rafael, Sacramento
9
Continue on I 80; I 580
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
12 mi
·
15 min
·
John T. Knox Freeway
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 2A
Toward Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto Sir Francis Drake Boulevard East
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard East
Use the straight lane.
13
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Francisco
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Merge onto US 101
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight lane.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 449A
Toward Paradise Drive, Tamalpais Drive
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn right onto Tamalpais Drive
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Tamalpais Drive
Use the left / right lanes.
17
Arrive at destination
Tamalpais Drive
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 31.9 miles from San Jose, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 62.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 880 North: Oakland
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
48.3 mi into trip
|
~58m in
|
I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13B
Toward I 580 West: Point Richmond, San Rafael
7
59.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 2A
Toward Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
8
62.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
Take the exit toward Paradise Drive, Tamalpais Drive
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 449A
Toward Paradise Drive, Tamalpais Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.54 one way
$29.07 round trip
$5.79/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $14.97 | $29.94 |
| premium | $6.14 | $15.42 | $30.85 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $14.99 | $29.98 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.70 | $3.06 |
| Efficient EV | 16 | 0 | $5.58 | $2.55 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.5 | 0 | $8.93 | $4.08 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Corte Madera, CA
Afternoon in Corte Madera on Friday
Local time
3:30 PM
PDT
Current temp
50°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
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
1h 20m 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?
This drive is 91% highway, meaning you'll be on major freeways for almost the entire 63.8 miles. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 26.4 miles, occurring on I 880. You'll transition from highway driving to surface streets as you approach Corte Madera. The high percentage of freeway driving suggests a consistent speed with merging and exiting traffic being the main variations in pace.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.4 mi on I 880.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 1.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 63.8 miles you will encounter 13 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 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.3 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
81 ft
-1 ft
Total Climb
139 ft
Total Descent
195 ft
Highest Point
81 ft
Elevation Range
82 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 San Jose, CA and Corte Madera, CA, road signs point toward Sacramento and San Rafael.
Sacramento
43.1 mi in
|
~51m
|
via I 880
San Rafael
48.3 mi in
|
~58m
|
via I 580
About the Cities
Starting 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
Arriving in Corte Madera, CA
Full guide →Founded 1916
The "twin cities" of Larkspur and Corte Madera are a pair of towns in Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Larkspur is the main gateway to Marin by ferry, while Corte Madera is known for upscale shopping.
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 20m. Total distance: 63.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.4 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 Corte Madera, 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 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.3 miles (I 580 / John T. Knox Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Corte Madera, 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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