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Trip from San Jose, CA to Davis, CA

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

2h 4m

Distance

103.6 mi

167 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$24

one way

EV Charging

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station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 27 min
4 AM
1h 55m ★
6 AM
2h 4m
8 AM
2h 22m
10 AM
2h 11m
12 PM
2h 9m
3 PM
2h 11m
5 PM
2h 21m
8 PM
1h 59m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city and county seat of Santa Clara County, California, United States

San Jose, CA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Yolo County, California, United States

Davis, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from San Jose, CA to Davis, CA covers 103.6 miles and takes about 2h 4m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 680, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Luther E Gibson Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 37.3 miles on I 680. At current regular gas prices, budget about $23.81 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

51.8 miles from San Jose, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 2m into the drive .

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Drive Character

The drive from San Jose, CA to Davis, CA covers 103.6 miles and takes about 2h 4m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 680 is the longest continuous segment at about 37.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in.

Route Complexity 10/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 103.6 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.9 miles (CA 262): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 19 key points

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

7
1.5 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward I 880 North: Oakland

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 880 North: Oakland
7
10.9 mi into trip | ~14m in | CA 262

Take the exit onto CA 262 toward Sacramento

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 12A Toward Sacramento
8
12.7 mi into trip | ~16m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 680 North: Sacramento

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane. Toward I 680 North: Sacramento
8
50.3 mi into trip | ~1h in | I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway toward I 680 North: Martinez, Sacramento

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 680 North: Martinez, Sacramento
7
70.6 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 80 East, CA 12 East: Fairfield, Sacramento

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 71A Toward I 80 East, CA 12 East: Fairfield, Sacram...

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 Jose, CA to Davis, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Sacramento along the way.

Sacramento

10.9 mi in | ~14m | via CA 262

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 680 37.3 mi 42m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 31.7 mi 36m
Luther E Gibson Freeway 12 mi 13m
I 880 8.5 mi 9m
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway 7.9 mi 9m
CA 262 1.6 mi 2m
Coleman Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
Nimitz Freeway 0.6 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 680 — 37.3 mi, about 42m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between San Jose, CA and Davis, CA.

1

Start on North Market Street

196 ft · 8 sec · North Market Street
2

Continue on Coleman Avenue

1.4 mi · 2 min · Coleman Avenue
Use the straight lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland Use the right lane.
4

Merge onto I 880

8.5 mi · 9 min · I 880
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Keep slight right at fork onto I 880

0.6 mi · 41 sec · Nimitz Freeway
6

Take the exit onto CA 262

1.6 mi · 2 min · CA 262
Exit 12A Toward Sacramento Use the slight right lane.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Toward I 680 North: Sacramento Use the straight lane.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 680 North: Sacramento Use the straight lane.
9

Merge onto I 680

37 mi · 42 min · I 680
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 680

6.0 mi · 6 min · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Toward I 680 North: Martinez, Sacramento Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 680

243 ft · 3 sec · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
12

Keep slight right at fork onto I 680

1.8 mi · 2 min · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the slight right lane.
13

Keep slight right at fork onto I 680

0.4 mi · 26 sec · Benicia-Martinez Bridge
14

Continue on I 680

12 mi · 13 min · Luther E Gibson Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Exit 71A Toward I 80 East, CA 12 East: Fairfield, Sacramento
16

Merge onto I 80; CA 12

1.7 mi · 1 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

27 mi · 31 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

2.8 mi · 3 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 51 sec
Exit 72 Toward Richards Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20

Turn right onto Richards Boulevard

468 ft · 11 sec · Richards Boulevard
21

Continue on Richards Boulevard

0.3 mi · 45 sec · Richards Boulevard
22

Turn sharp right onto 1st Street

407 ft · 20 sec · 1st Street
23

Turn left onto F Street

0.2 mi · 39 sec · F Street
24

Arrive at destination

F Street

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 51.8 miles from San Jose, CA, or about 1h 2m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 37.3 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 35m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 51.8 miles or 1h 2m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 41m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Davis, CA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving San Jose, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from San Jose, CA

This is one driving day of about 103.6 miles and 2h 4m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from San Jose, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on I 680 for about 37.3 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 51.8 mi from San Jose, CA · 1h 2m into the drive

city in Santa Clara County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Mountain View, CA

52 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

Napa, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Mountain View, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 51.8 miles from San Jose, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Davis, CA

The final approach into Davis, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Davis, CA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$23.81 one way

$47.62 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 36 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $24.54 $49.08
premium $6.18 $25.19 $50.39
diesel $5.61 $22.87 $45.75

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$24

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$49–$74

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 36.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 31.1 0 $10.88 $4.97
Efficient EV 25.9 0 $9.07 $4.14
EV Truck/SUV 41.4 0 $14.50 $6.63

Gas CO2

36 kg

EV CO2

12 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 data refreshed 1 day ago

Origin

San Jose, CA

Late night in San Jose on Wednesday

Local time

3:26 AM

PDT

Current temp

44°F

Areas Of Fog

SSE 2 mph 21% chance Live forecast

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

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

Destination

Davis, CA

Late night in Davis on Wednesday

Local time

3:26 AM

PDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

5 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

2h 4m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from San Jose, CA to Davis, CA covers 103.6 miles and takes about 2h 4m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 680, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Luther E Gibson Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 51.8 miles from San Jose, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $23.81 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 is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 103.6 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.9 miles (CA 262): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from San Jose, CA to Davis, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Sacramento along the way.

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