Origin
Stanford, CA
Late night in Stanford on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Stanford, 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
29m
Distance
19.4 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
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.
Stanford, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling between Stanford and San Jose is a straightforward 22.3-mile journey that typically takes about 28 minutes to complete. Because this trip is entirely local, you won't need to worry about overnight lodging or splitting the drive; it is perfectly suited for a single day. You can expect to spend approximately $3 on fuel for the trip, making it a very budget-friendly transit. Navigating through the Pacific Coast region, you will rely on local thoroughfares like Arguello Mall, Campus Drive East, and Serra Street rather than major interstates. This route is ideal if you are looking for a quick, efficient connection between these two cities without the complexity of highway travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bayshore Freeway | 11.7 mi | 13m |
| Guadalupe Freeway | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| Oregon Expressway | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| El Camino Real | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Campus Drive East | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Serra Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Saint James Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Julian Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bayshore Freeway
— 11.7 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Stanford, CA and San Jose, CA.
1
Start on Bowdoin Lane
323 ft
·
19 sec
·
Bowdoin Lane
2
Turn right onto Arguello Mall
226 ft
·
12 sec
·
Arguello Mall
3
Turn left onto Campus Drive East
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Campus Drive East
4
Enter roundabout onto Campus Drive East
89 ft
·
2 sec
·
Campus Drive East
5
Continue on Campus Drive East
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Campus Drive East
6
Enter roundabout onto Campus Drive East
91 ft
·
2 sec
·
Campus Drive East
7
Continue on Campus Drive East
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Campus Drive East
8
Enter roundabout onto Serra Street
60 ft
·
1 sec
·
Serra Street
9
Continue on Serra Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Serra Street
10
Turn right onto CA 82
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
El Camino Real
Use the right lane.
11
Turn left onto CR G3
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Oregon Expressway
Use the left / uturn lanes.
12
Take the ramp
370 ft
·
10 sec
Toward US 101: San Francisco, San Jose
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
Use the slight right lane.
14
Merge onto US 101
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Toward US 101 South: San Jose, Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
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.
16
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 390
Toward CA 87 South: Guadalupe Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on CA 87
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Guadalupe Freeway
Use the straight lane.
18
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 6B
Toward Julian Street, Saint James Street
Use the slight right lane.
19
Turn left onto West Julian Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Julian Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
20
Continue on West Saint James Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
West Saint James Street
Use the straight lane.
21
Turn left onto North Market Street
416 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Market Street
22
Arrive at destination
North Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 3.8 and 18.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
3.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 101 South: San Jose
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
7
4.1 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Merge onto US 101 / Bayshore Freeway toward US 101 South: San Jose, Los Angeles
Merge point - match speed before joining. 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
8
7.4 mi into trip
|
~14m 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
15.8 mi into trip
|
~24m 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
18.7 mi into trip
|
~27m 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
$4.46 one way
$8.92 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.59 | $9.19 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.72 | $9.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.28 | $8.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.70 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
5:02 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Sunny
NW 8 to 12 mph
3% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 13 at 10:05AM PDT until April 14 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Winter Weather Advisory
Winter Weather Advisory issued April 13 at 12:17AM PDT until April 13 at 7:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
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 warmer 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
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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 rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features a 0% highway share. Your journey is defined by navigating local infrastructure, with the longest uninterrupted stretch being 0 miles on Arguello Mall. You will spend your time behind the wheel transitioning through various campus and city roads, which requires your full attention on turns rather than long-distance cruising. Because the path is composed of local streets, the pace remains consistent and deliberate throughout the entire 28-minute duration. It is a technical, low-speed drive that demands a different mindset than a typical open-road highway trip.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.7 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 3.8 miles in.
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 16 decision points packed into just 19.4 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 3.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (US 101 / Bayshore Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.4 miles (US 101 / Bayshore Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
98 ft
20 ft
Total Climb
74 ft
Total Descent
91 ft
Highest Point
98 ft
Elevation Range
78 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.
On the drive from Stanford, CA to San Jose, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Los Angeles along the way.
Los Angeles
4.1 mi in
|
~10m
|
via US 101
About the Cities
Starting in Stanford, CA
Full guide →Top landmarks
- • Lou Henry and Herbert Hoover House — historic house in Stanford, California
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 29m. Total distance: 19.4 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 (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.7 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 3.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (US 101 / Bayshore Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.4 miles (US 101 / Bayshore 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 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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