Origin
San Jose, CA
Late night in San Jose on Friday
Local time
4:29 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Jose, CA to San Leandro, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
32.6 mi
52 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Leandro, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from San Jose, CA to San Leandro, CA covers 32.6 miles and takes about 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 880, Nimitz Freeway, East 14th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14.7 miles on I 880. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.49 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 32.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 41m highway drive covering 32.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 14.7 miles on I 880.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 880 is the longest continuous segment at about 14.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and Nimitz Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 32.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (I 880): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese 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
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 880
Merge onto I 880
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
22.9 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
I 880
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
7
29.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward Hesperian Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 30
Toward Hesperian Boulevard
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 14.7 mi | 16m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 12.6 mi | 14m |
| East 14th Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Hesperian Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Coleman Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| North Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Estudillo Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 14.7 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Jose, CA and San Leandro, 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
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
6.1 mi
·
6 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 30
Toward Hesperian Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn right onto Hesperian Boulevard
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Hesperian Boulevard
Use the right lane.
9
Turn left onto CA 185
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
East 14th Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto West Estudillo Avenue
61 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Estudillo Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Arrive at destination
West Estudillo Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.49 one way
$14.99 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.72 | $15.44 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.93 | $15.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.20 | $14.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.42 | $1.56 |
| Efficient EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.85 | $1.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13 | 0 | $4.56 | $2.09 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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 Leandro, CA
Late night in San Leandro on Friday
Local time
4:29 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°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
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
41m 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 San Jose, CA to San Leandro, CA covers 32.6 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 880, Nimitz Freeway, East 14th Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 16.3 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 $7.49 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 short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 32.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (I 880): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles (I 880 / Nimitz Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from San Jose, CA to San Leandro, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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