Origin
San Mateo, CA
Late night in San Mateo on Tuesday
Local time
5:16 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from San Mateo, 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
37m
Distance
30.4 mi
49 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Mateo, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 30.4-mile drive from San Mateo to San Jose is easily manageable in about 37 minutes, making it an ideal day trip. The route is predominantly highway, with 93% of the journey on major freeways like the Bayshore Freeway and Guadalupe Freeway. You'll likely spend around $7 on fuel for this short hop within the Pacific Coast region. With no designated stops and a comfortable duration, this trip is all about efficient travel between two points in California. It’s a practical option when you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bayshore Freeway | 25.7 mi | 29m |
| Guadalupe Freeway | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| East 3rd Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East 4th Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Saint James Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Julian Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Delaware Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bayshore Freeway
— 25.7 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Mateo, CA and San Jose, CA.
1
Start on CA 82
96 ft
·
6 sec
·
South El Camino Real
2
Turn right onto East 3rd Avenue
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
East 3rd Avenue
3
Turn right onto South Delaware Street
373 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Delaware Street
4
Turn left onto East 4th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 4th Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto East 4th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
East 4th Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
7
Merge onto US 101
17 mi
·
19 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
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.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 390
Toward CA 87 South: Guadalupe Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on CA 87
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Guadalupe Freeway
Use the straight lane.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 6B
Toward Julian Street, Saint James Street
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn left onto West Julian Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Julian Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
13
Continue on West Saint James Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
West Saint James Street
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn left onto North Market Street
416 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Market Street
15
Arrive at destination
North Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 29.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East 4th Avenue
Turn left onto East 4th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East 4th Avenue
Keep slight left at fork onto East 4th Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
18.4 mi into trip
|
~22m 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
26.8 mi into trip
|
~32m 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
29.7 mi into trip
|
~36m 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
$6.99 one way
$13.97 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.20 | $14.40 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.39 | $14.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.71 | $13.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.26 | $1.95 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 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
5:16 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.
Road read
37m 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 highway-focused drive for the most part, with 93% of the route utilizing major freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 25.7 miles on the Bayshore Freeway, offering a consistent pace. While primarily on high-speed roads like the Guadalupe Freeway, you will also navigate some local roads such as East 3rd Avenue, particularly near the start or end points. This blend means you'll experience both efficient freeway cruising and brief transitions through more urban settings.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.7 mi on Bayshore Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 around 0.5 miles in near East 4th Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 30.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (East 4th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (East 4th Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.4 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.
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 San Mateo, CA to San Jose, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Los Angeles along the way.
Los Angeles
18.4 mi in
|
~22m
|
via US 101
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 37m. Total distance: 30.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.7 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: at 0.5 miles (East 4th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (East 4th Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.4 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, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (4 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From San Jose, CA
More trips to San Jose, CA
Explore more options from San Mateo, CA or browse trips ending in San Jose, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.