Origin
Pleasant Hill, CA
Afternoon in Pleasant Hill on Friday
Local time
1:17 PM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pleasant Hill, CA to San Jose, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
53.2 mi
86 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pleasant Hill, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Pleasant Hill, CA to San Jose, CA covers 53.2 miles and takes about 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Gregory Lane, Contra Costa Boulevard, I 680 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.23 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 53.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 51m drive with frequent turns across 53.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Gregory Lane is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Pleasant Hill, CA to San Jose, CA is easy. At 51m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Pleasant Hill, CA to San Jose, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Gregory Lane | — | — |
| Contra Costa Boulevard | — | — |
| I 680 South | — | — |
| Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway | — | — |
| Donald D Doyle Highway | — | — |
| CA 262 | — | — |
| Mission Boulevard | — | — |
| Nimitz Freeway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Gregory Lane
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pleasant Hill, CA and San Jose, CA.
1
Start on Gregory Lane
92 ft
·
2 sec
·
Gregory Lane
2
Continue on Gregory Lane
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Gregory Lane
3
Turn right onto Contra Costa Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Contra Costa Boulevard
4
Take the ramp slight left toward I 680 South
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
I 680 South
5
Merge slight left onto Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
6
Continue on Donald D Doyle Highway
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
7
Keep slight right to continue on Donald D Doyle Highway
31 mi
·
35 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
8
Take the exit slight right toward CA 262
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
CA 262
9
Keep slight right to continue on CA 262: Northwestern Polytechnic University, Warm Springs District
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
CA 262: Northwestern Polytechnic University, Warm Springs District
10
Merge slight left onto Mission Boulevard
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Mission Boulevard
11
Merge slight left onto Nimitz Freeway
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
12
Take the exit slight right toward Downtown, North First Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Downtown, North First Street
13
Turn left onto North 1st Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North 1st Street
14
Turn right onto West Julian Street
495 ft
·
18 sec
·
West Julian Street
15
Turn left onto North Market Street
197 ft
·
7 sec
·
North Market Street
16
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.6 mi from Pleasant Hill, CA · 25m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.6 miles from Pleasant Hill, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in San Jose, CA
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into San Jose, CA if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.23 one way
$24.46 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $12.60 | $25.20 |
| premium | $6.18 | $12.94 | $25.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.75 | $23.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16 | 0 | $5.59 | $2.55 |
| Efficient EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.66 | $2.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.3 | 0 | $7.45 | $3.40 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Afternoon in San Jose on Friday
Local time
1:17 PM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
66°F
Fremont, CA
27 mi in
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
6 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
51m 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 Pleasant Hill, CA to San Jose, CA covers 53.2 miles and takes about 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Gregory Lane, Contra Costa Boulevard, I 680 South. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.6 miles from Pleasant Hill, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.23 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.
The drive from Pleasant Hill, CA to San Jose, CA is easy. At 51m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Pleasant Hill, CA to San Jose, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Pleasant Hill, CA to San Jose, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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