Origin
Woodside, CA
Late night in Woodside on Sunday
Local time
12:56 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Woodside, CA to San Jose, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
25 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Woodside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 25-mile drive from Woodside, CA to San Jose, CA takes about 32 minutes and is perfect for a single day trip. You'll primarily be on the Junipero Serra Freeway and Sinclair Freeway, with a short stretch on Woodside Road. With an estimated fuel cost of $6, this is an economical journey. The Pacific Coast region offers a familiar landscape as you travel within California. Given its short distance and focused highway profile, this route is best suited for a direct transit rather than an overnight stay, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Junipero Serra Freeway | 19.2 mi | 22m |
| Sinclair Freeway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Woodside Road | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| West Saint James Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cañada Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Mountain Home Road | <0.1 mi | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Junipero Serra Freeway
— 19.2 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Woodside, CA and San Jose, CA.
1
Start on this road
50 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Cañada Lane
137 ft
·
6 sec
·
Cañada Lane
3
Continue on CA 84
464 ft
·
26 sec
·
Woodside Road
Use the straight lane.
4
Turn left
288 ft
·
22 sec
5
Turn left onto Mountain Home Road
22 ft
·
0 sec
·
Mountain Home Road
6
Turn right onto CA 84
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Woodside Road
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 280 South: San Jose
Use the straight lane.
8
Merge onto I 280
19 mi
·
22 min
·
Junipero Serra Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 280
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Sinclair Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 3A
Toward CA 87 North, CA 87 South: San Jose International Airport, Guadalupe Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward CA 87 North: San Jose International Airport, Guadalupe Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward CA 87 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 6B
Toward Julian Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto West Saint James Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
West Saint James Street
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn left onto North Market Street
416 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Market Street
16
Arrive at destination
North Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 23.3 and 24.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
23.3 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward CA 87 North, CA 87 South: San Jose International Airport, Guadalupe Parkway
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 3A
Toward CA 87 North, CA 87 South: San Jose Inter...
8
23.5 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 87 North: San Jose International Airport, Guadalupe Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 87 North: San Jose International Airp...
7
24.3 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 87 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 87 North
9
24.6 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Julian Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward Julian Street
6
24.8 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
West Saint James Street
Turn right onto West Saint James Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.75 one way
$11.49 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.92 | $11.84 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.08 | $12.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.52 | $11.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.19 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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 Sunday
Local time
12:56 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°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
24 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
32m 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 88% of this 25-mile trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 19.2 miles on the Junipero Serra Freeway. This route offers a consistent driving experience, largely on well-maintained freeways. While it's a direct path, keep in mind that freeway driving can sometimes be monotonous, so staying alert is key. The transitions between the Junipero Serra Freeway, Sinclair Freeway, and Woodside Road are generally smooth.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.2 mi on Junipero Serra Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Junipero Serra Freeway and Sinclair Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 23.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 12 decision points packed into just 25 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 23.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Woodside, CA
Full guide →Woodside is a small town on the San Francisco Peninsula in California. It is considered one of the wealthiest towns in the United States, and is home to many celebrities and executives. Despite its small size, Woodside features many local attractions.
Top landmarks
- • Woodside Store — Museum of a store built in 1854 in Woodside, California
Arriving in San Jose, CA
Full guide →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.
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 32m. Total distance: 25 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.2 miles on Junipero Serra 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 23.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. 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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