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Trip from Hillsborough Park, CA to Menlo Park, CA

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

28m

Distance

16.9 mi

27 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 26m ★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in San Mateo County, California, United States

Menlo Park, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Hillsborough Park, CA to Menlo Park, CA covers 16.9 miles and takes about 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Bayshore Freeway, Marsh Road, West Santa Inez Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.4 miles on Bayshore Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.88 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 16.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 28m highway drive covering 16.9 miles, with most of the trip on Bayshore Freeway and Marsh Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 10.4 miles on Bayshore Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Bayshore Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 10.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bayshore Freeway and Marsh Road. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in near CA 82 / North El Camino Real.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 16.9 miles you will encounter 12 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 2.4 miles (CA 82 / North El Camino Real): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (East Poplar Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 14 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
2.4 mi into trip | ~6m in | CA 82 / North El Camino Real

At end of road, turn left onto CA 82 / North El Camino Real

Navigation decision point

7
2.5 mi into trip | ~6m in | East Poplar Avenue

Turn sharp right onto East Poplar Avenue

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
7
14 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward CA 84 East: Marsh Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 406 Toward CA 84 East: Marsh Road
6
14.1 mi into trip | ~21m in | Marsh Road

Turn right onto Marsh Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
15.3 mi into trip | ~23m in | Middlefield Road

At end of road, turn left onto Middlefield Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Bayshore Freeway 10.4 mi 12m
Marsh Road 1.1 mi 2m
West Santa Inez Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
Middlefield Road 1.1 mi 2m
East Poplar Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
Hayne Road 0.7 mi 1m
Ravenswood Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Black Mountain Road 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Bayshore Freeway — 10.4 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Hillsborough Park, CA and Menlo Park, CA.

1

Start on San Raymundo Road

0.1 mi · 24 sec · San Raymundo Road
2

Continue on Sandra Road

0.2 mi · 45 sec · Sandra Road
3

Turn left onto Hayne Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Hayne Road
4

Continue on Black Mountain Road

0.3 mi · 41 sec · Black Mountain Road
5

Continue on West Santa Inez Avenue

1.1 mi · 2 min · West Santa Inez Avenue
6

At end of road, turn left onto CA 82

404 ft · 17 sec · North El Camino Real
7

Turn sharp right onto East Poplar Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Poplar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
8

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 11 sec
Toward US 101 South: San Jose
9

Merge onto US 101

10 mi · 12 min · Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Exit 406 Toward CA 84 East: Marsh Road Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn right onto Marsh Road

1.1 mi · 2 min · Marsh Road
Use the right lane.
12

At end of road, turn left onto Middlefield Road

1.1 mi · 2 min · Middlefield Road
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto Ravenswood Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Ravenswood Avenue
14

Turn right onto Merrill Street

197 ft · 15 sec · Merrill Street
15

Turn left

38 ft · 4 sec
16

Turn right

121 ft · 9 sec
17

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.88 one way

$7.77 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $4.00 $8.01
premium $6.18 $4.11 $8.22
diesel $5.61 $3.73 $7.46

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.1 0 $1.77 $0.81
Efficient EV 4.2 0 $1.48 $0.68
EV Truck/SUV 6.8 0 $2.37 $1.08

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Hillsborough Park, CA

Morning in Hillsborough Park on Thursday

Local time

10:04 AM

PDT

Current temp

--

Unavailable

Destination

Menlo Park, CA

Morning in Menlo Park on Thursday

Local time

10:04 AM

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.

Road read

28m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Hillsborough Park, CA to Menlo Park, CA covers 16.9 miles and takes about 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Bayshore Freeway, Marsh Road, West Santa Inez Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.5 miles from Hillsborough Park, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.88 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 16.9 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles (CA 82 / North El Camino Real): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (East Poplar Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 14 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Hillsborough Park, CA to Menlo Park, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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