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Trip from San Jose, CA to South San Francisco, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

46m

Distance

38.2 mi

61 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 43m ★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m

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 San Mateo County, California, United States

South San Francisco, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from San Jose, CA to South San Francisco, CA covers 38.2 miles and takes about 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on US 101, Bayshore Freeway, Guadalupe Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 26 miles on US 101. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.78 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 101 26 mi 29m
Bayshore Freeway 7.5 mi 8m
Guadalupe Freeway 2.8 mi 3m
South Airport Boulevard 0.4 mi <1m
Airport Boulevard 0.4 mi <1m
West Saint James Street 0.1 mi <1m
North San Pedro Street <0.1 mi <1m
Devine Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 101 — 26 mi, about 29m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on North Market Street

110 ft · 5 sec · North Market Street
2

Turn right onto Devine Street

275 ft · 17 sec · Devine Street
3

Turn left onto North San Pedro Street

306 ft · 17 sec · North San Pedro Street
4

Turn right onto West Saint James Street

0.1 mi · 17 sec · West Saint James Street
5

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Toward CA 87 North Use the right lane.
6

Merge onto CA 87

2.8 mi · 3 min · Guadalupe Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Exit 9B Toward US 101 North: San Francisco Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
9

Merge onto US 101

7.5 mi · 8 min · Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto US 101

26 mi · 29 min · US 101
Use the slight left lane.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Exit 424 Toward South Airport Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Turn left onto South Airport Boulevard

0.2 mi · 27 sec · South Airport Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
13

Turn left onto South Airport Boulevard

0.2 mi · 23 sec · South Airport Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14

Continue on Airport Boulevard

0.4 mi · 43 sec · Airport Boulevard
15

Arrive at destination

Airport Boulevard

Where to Stop

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

city in San Mateo County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Belmont, CA

19 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

San Bruno, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Redwood City, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.1 miles from San Jose, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 37.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | North San Pedro Street

Turn left onto North San Pedro Street

Navigation decision point

7
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in

Take the ramp toward CA 87 North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward CA 87 North
8
3.2 mi into trip | ~4m in

Keep slight left at fork toward US 101 North: San Francisco

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 9B Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
6
11.3 mi into trip | ~14m in | US 101

Keep slight left at fork onto US 101

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
7
37.2 mi into trip | ~44m in

Take the exit toward South Airport Boulevard

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 424 Toward South Airport Boulevard

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.78 one way

$17.56 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $9.05 $18.10
premium $6.18 $9.29 $18.58
diesel $5.61 $8.43 $16.87

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.5 0 $4.01 $1.83
Efficient EV 9.6 0 $3.34 $1.53
EV Truck/SUV 15.3 0 $5.35 $2.44

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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 16, 2026

Origin

San Jose, CA

Afternoon in San Jose on Saturday

Local time

12:14 PM

PDT

Current temp

72°F

Sunny

NNW 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Lake Wind Advisory

Lake Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 16 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Destination

South San Francisco, CA

Afternoon in South San Francisco on Saturday

Local time

12:14 PM

PDT

Current temp

66°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

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

46m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

38.2 mi in 46m, mostly highway — 26 mi of that is on US 101.

95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26 mi on US 101.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 101 and Bayshore Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North San Pedro Street.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 38.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North San Pedro Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in San Jose, CA

Full guide →

Often called "the capital of Silicon Valley", San Jose is the largest city in the Bay Area, 3rd largest in California, and the 12th largest city in the United States, with a population of over 997,000 residents as of 2024. It was named the 6th safest big city in the U.S. in 2015. This clean, sprawling metropolis has sports, beautiful vistas, and ethnic enclaves and bleeds into the greater Bay Area for travelers who want to take their time in Northern California.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 38.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

46m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 26 miles on US 101. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at South San Francisco, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North San Pedro Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park (4 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at South San Francisco, CA before heading back.

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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

South San Francisco, CA to San Jose, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

38.5 mi 47m

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