Trip from San Jose, CA to Garden Grove, CA

Drive Time

7h 2m

Distance

368.7 mi

593 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$85

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 34 min
4 AM
6h 51m ★
6 AM
7h 2m
8 AM
7h 25m
10 AM
7h 10m
12 PM
7h 8m
3 PM
7h 11m
5 PM
7h 23m
8 PM
6h 55m

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

Downtown San Jose, CA, CA

San Jose, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Downtown Garden Grove, CA, CA

Garden Grove, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

The drive from San Jose, CA to Garden Grove, CA covers 368.7 miles and takes about 7h 2m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Devine Street, North San Pedro Street, West Saint James Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $85.38 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

2 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

184.4 miles from San Jose, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 31m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 7h 2m drive with frequent turns across 368.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 32 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Devine Street 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. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

The route itself is not hard, but at 7h 2m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Jose, CA to Garden Grove, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Devine Street Unavailable Refreshing
North San Pedro Street Unavailable Refreshing
West Saint James Street Unavailable Refreshing
West Julian Street Unavailable Refreshing
CA 87 South Unavailable Refreshing
Guadalupe Freeway Unavailable Refreshing
Guadalupe Parkway Unavailable Refreshing
Santa Teresa Boulevard Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Devine Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on North Market Street

108 ft · 6 sec · North Market Street
2

Turn right onto Devine Street

276 ft · 18 sec · Devine Street
3

Turn left onto North San Pedro Street

305 ft · 18 sec · North San Pedro Street
4

Turn right onto West Saint James Street

0.1 mi · 16 sec · West Saint James Street
5

Continue on West Julian Street

358 ft · 7 sec · West Julian Street
6

Take the ramp slight right toward CA 87 South

0.2 mi · 32 sec · CA 87 South
7

Merge slight left onto Guadalupe Freeway

1.4 mi · 1 min · Guadalupe Freeway
8

Continue on Guadalupe Parkway

4.1 mi · 4 min · Guadalupe Parkway
9

Take the exit slight right toward Santa Teresa Boulevard

0.4 mi · 31 sec · Santa Teresa Boulevard
10

Continue on Santa Teresa Boulevard

0.1 mi · 23 sec · Santa Teresa Boulevard
11

Turn left onto CA 85 South

0.3 mi · 41 sec · CA 85 South
12

Merge slight left

4.7 mi · 5 min
13

Continue on US 101 South

0.4 mi · 27 sec · US 101 South
14

Continue straight

20 mi · 23 min
15

Take the exit slight right toward CA 152 East: 10th Street, Pacheco Pass Road

0.3 mi · 40 sec · CA 152 East: 10th Street, Pacheco Pass Road
16

Turn left onto East 10th Street

354 ft · 13 sec · East 10th Street
17

Continue on Pacheco Pass Highway

41 mi · 50 min · Pacheco Pass Highway
18

Take the exit slight right toward I 5: Los Angeles

0.6 mi · 1 min · I 5: Los Angeles
19

Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway

181 mi · 3 hr 14 min · Westside Freeway
20

Keep slight right

58 mi · 1 hr 6 min
21

Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway

4.1 mi · 4 min · Golden State Freeway
22

Keep slight right to continue on I 405 South

0.3 mi · 18 sec · I 405 South
23

Keep slight left

25 mi · 29 min
24

Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway

1.3 mi · 1 min · Golden State Freeway
25

Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway

20 mi · 23 min · Santa Ana Freeway
26

Take the exit slight right toward Euclid Street

0.4 mi · 53 sec · Euclid Street
27

Turn right onto North Euclid Street

0.3 mi · 24 sec · North Euclid Street
28

Continue on South Euclid Street

2.0 mi · 3 min · South Euclid Street
29

Continue on Euclid Street

1.6 mi · 3 min · Euclid Street
30

Turn slight right onto Main Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Main Street
31

Turn uturn

256 ft · 21 sec
32

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 184.4 miles from San Jose, CA, or about 3h 31m into the drive.

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 81 miles or 1h 32m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 184.4 miles or 3h 31m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 5h 53m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Garden Grove, 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.

+

Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.

Day 1

Settle into the route from San Jose, CA

This is one driving day of about 368.7 miles and 7h 2m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 81 miles from San Jose, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 184.4 mi from San Jose, CA · 3h 31m into the drive

Downtown Bakersfield, CA, CA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bakersfield, CA

184 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

Salinas, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 81 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bakersfield, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 184.4 miles from San Jose, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Garden Grove, CA

The final approach into Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove, 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

$85.38 one way

$170.76 round trip

$5.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 129 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.07 $88.05 $176.11
premium $6.24 $90.62 $181.24
diesel $5.64 $81.91 $163.82

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$85

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$110–$135

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 129 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $39 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 110.6 1 $38.71 $17.70
Efficient EV 92.2 1 $32.26 $14.75
EV Truck/SUV 147.5 1 $51.62 $23.60

Gas CO2

129 kg

EV CO2

43 kg (67% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 3 days ago

Origin

San Jose, CA

Afternoon in San Jose on Sunday

Local time

1:38 PM

PDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Garden Grove, CA

Afternoon in Garden Grove on Sunday

Local time

1:38 PM

PDT

Current temp

75°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

4 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

7h 2m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

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 Garden Grove, CA covers 368.7 miles and takes about 7h 2m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Devine Street, North San Pedro Street, West Saint James Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 184.4 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 $85.38 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 7h 2m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Jose, CA to Garden Grove, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from San Jose, CA to Garden Grove, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Garden Grove, CA to San Jose, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

377.8 mi 5h 58m

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