Origin
San Jose, CA
Late night in San Jose on Sunday
Local time
4:00 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Jose, CA to Monte Sereno, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
12.2 mi
20 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 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
Monte Sereno, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from San Jose, CA to Monte Sereno, CA covers 12.2 miles and takes about 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CA 17, Sinclair Freeway, Saratoga-Los Gatos Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.3 miles on CA 17. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.77 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 17 | 6.3 mi | 7m |
| Sinclair Freeway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Saratoga-Los Gatos Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Guadalupe Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Los Gatos-Saratoga Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Saint James Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Julian Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North San Pedro Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 17
— 6.3 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Jose, CA and Monte Sereno, CA.
1
Start on North Market Street
110 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Market Street
2
Turn right onto Devine Street
275 ft
·
17 sec
·
Devine Street
3
Turn left onto North San Pedro Street
306 ft
·
17 sec
·
North San Pedro Street
4
Turn right onto West Saint James Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West Saint James Street
5
Continue on West Julian Street
356 ft
·
7 sec
·
West Julian Street
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward CA 87 South
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto CA 87
0.5 mi
·
33 sec
·
Guadalupe Freeway
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 5
Toward I 280 South, I 280 North: San Francisco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 280 North: San Francisco
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 280
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Sinclair Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 5B
Toward CA 17 South, I 880 North: Santa Cruz, Oakland
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward CA 17 South: Santa Cruz
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto CA 17
6.3 mi
·
7 min
·
CA 17
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 20B
Toward CA 9 West: Los Gatos, Saratoga
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto CA 9
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Los Gatos-Saratoga Road
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on CA 9
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Saratoga-Los Gatos Road
17
Continue on CA 9
139 ft
·
9 sec
·
Saratoga-Los Gatos Road
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
CA 9
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 10.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward I 280 South, I 280 North: San Francisco
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 5
Toward I 280 South, I 280 North: San Francisco
7
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 280 North: San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 280 North: San Francisco
8
3.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward CA 17 South, I 880 North: Santa Cruz, Oakland
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 5B
Toward CA 17 South, I 880 North: Santa Cruz, Oa...
7
3.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 17 South: Santa Cruz
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 17 South: Santa Cruz
8
10.8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward CA 9 West: Los Gatos, Saratoga
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 20B
Toward CA 9 West: Los Gatos, Saratoga
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.77 one way
$5.53 round trip
$5.76/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $2.86 | $5.72 |
| premium | $6.09 | $2.93 | $5.85 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $2.60 | $5.19 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.28 | $0.59 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.07 | $0.49 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Monte Sereno, CA
Late night in Monte Sereno on Sunday
Local time
4:00 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°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
3 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
17m 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?
12.2 mi in 17m, mostly highway — 6.3 mi of that is on CA 17.
73% 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: 6.3 mi on CA 17.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 17 and Sinclair Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 15 decision points packed into just 12.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Jose, CA and Monte Sereno, CA, road signs point toward Oakland and Saratoga.
Oakland
3.7 mi in
|
~5m
Saratoga
10.8 mi in
|
~14m
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Starbucks
Cafe
Near the end, right off the route
16min in
0.3 mi from route
~1 min detour
Los Gatos, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteOrchard Valley Coffee
Cafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
10min in
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Campbell
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Su 06:00-21:00
Visit websiteCon Azucar Café
Cafe
Near the start, right off the route
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
San Jose, CA
Cuisine: mexican;sandwich
Visit websiteStarbucks
Cafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
10min in
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Campbell, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteStarbucks
Cafe
Later in the drive, right off the route
12min in
0.5 mi from route
~1 min detour
Campbell, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteStarbucks
Cafe
Early in the drive, right off the route
4min in
0.5 mi from route
~1 min detour
San Jose
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Su 06:00-18:00
Visit websiteMcDonald's
Fast_food
Later in the drive, right off the route
14min in
0.2 mi from route
Los Gatos, CA
Cuisine: burger
Hours: Mo-Fr 06:00-21:00; Sa-Su 07:00-21:00
Visit websitePanera Bread
Fast_food
Around the midpoint, right off the route
8min in
0.3 mi from route
~1 min detour
Campbell, CA
Cuisine: sandwich;bakery
Hours: Mo-Sa 06:00-21:00; Su 07:00-21:00
Visit websiteA Bellagio
Restaurant
Around the midpoint, right off the route
10min in
0.3 mi from route
~1 min detour
Campbell, CA
Cuisine: italian
Hours: Mo 17:00-21:30; Tu-Th 11:30-14:30,17:00-...
Visit websiteLa Pizzeria
Restaurant
Around the midpoint, right off the route
10min in
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Campbell
Cuisine: italian
Visit websiteWild Rose
Restaurant
Around the midpoint, right off the route
10min in
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Campbell, CA
Cuisine: seafood;steak_house;brunch
Hours: Mo,Su off; Tu-Fr 17:00-22:00; Sa 17:00-0...
Visit websiteManresa
Restaurant
Near the end, right off the route
16min in
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Los Gatos, CA
Visit websiteLexington Vista Point
Viewpoint
Near the end, short detour
18min in
2 mi from route
~5 min detour
Coyote Park
Park
Near the start, short detour
2.6 mi from route
~6 min detour
Robert F. Kennedy
Memorial
Near the start, right off the route
0.2 mi from route
~1 min detour
Plumed Serpent
Artwork
Near the start, right off the route
2min in
0.6 mi from route
~1 min detour
Visit website
Hensley Historic District
District
Near the start, right off the route
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Downtown Historic District
District
Near the start, right off the route
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Hellenic Heritage Museum
Museum
Near the start, short detour
2min in
2.1 mi from route
~5 min detour
CA
Visit websiteConfucius Statue
Monument
Near the start, short detour
2.9 mi from route
~7 min detour
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
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 Monte Sereno, CA
Full guide →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 17m. Total distance: 12.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.3 miles on CA 17. 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 Monte Sereno, 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 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Monte Sereno, 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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