Origin
San Leandro, CA
Late night in San Leandro on Saturday
Local time
3:33 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Leandro, CA to San Jose, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
31.9 mi
51 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 Leandro, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Jose, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from San Leandro, CA to San Jose, CA covers 31.9 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, East 14th Street, Hesperian Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.7 miles on I 880. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.33 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 31.9 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 (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 41m highway drive covering 31.9 miles, with most of the trip on I 880 and East 14th Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 24.7 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 14 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 24.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and East 14th Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CA 185 / East 14th Street.
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 11 decision points packed into just 31.9 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: near the start (CA 185 / East 14th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CA 185 / East 14th Street
Turn right onto CA 185 / East 14th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
3.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 880 South: San Jose
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward I 880 South: San Jose
6
8.2 mi into trip
|
~11m 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.
6
10.6 mi into trip
|
~14m 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.
8
30.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward Downtown, North First Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 4A
Toward Downtown, North First Street
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 Leandro, CA to San Jose, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
Downtown
30.1 mi in
|
~36m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 24.7 mi | 28m |
| East 14th Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Hesperian Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 1.6 mi | 1m |
| North 1st Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| West Julian Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Estudillo Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 24.7 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Leandro, CA and San Jose, CA.
1
Start on West Estudillo Avenue
61 ft
·
5 sec
·
West Estudillo Avenue
2
Turn right onto CA 185
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East 14th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn slight left onto CA 185
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East 14th Street
4
Turn slight right onto Hesperian Boulevard
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Hesperian Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 880 South: San Jose
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
Merge onto I 880
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
7
Take the exit onto I 880
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
I 880
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 880
19 mi
·
22 min
·
I 880
Use the slight left lane.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 4A
Toward Downtown, North First Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn left onto North 1st Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North 1st Street
Use the left / uturn lanes.
12
Turn right onto West Julian Street
494 ft
·
17 sec
·
West Julian Street
13
Turn left onto North Market Street
196 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Market Street
14
Arrive at destination
North Market Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.33 one way
$14.66 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.56 | $15.11 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.76 | $15.52 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.04 | $14.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 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 | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
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 Jose, CA
Late night in San Jose on Saturday
Local time
3:33 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°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 cooler 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 Leandro, CA to San Jose, CA covers 31.9 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, East 14th Street, Hesperian Boulevard. 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 miles from San Leandro, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.33 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 11 decision points packed into just 31.9 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: near the start (CA 185 / East 14th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from San Leandro, CA to San Jose, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
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 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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