Origin
Santa Clara, CA
Morning in Santa Clara on Thursday
Local time
10:48 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Clara, CA to San Martin, CA
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
40m
Distance
31.1 mi
50 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 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Clara, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Martin, CA
omar Basly
Trip Overview
This 31.1-mile drive from Santa Clara to San Martin is a quick trip, estimated to take around 40 minutes. It's a great option for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. The route is heavily focused on highway travel, with 89% of the journey on freeways, including significant stretches on the Bayshore Freeway and I-880. Budget approximately $7 for fuel for this short hop within the Pacific Coast region of California. The overall feel is that of an efficient, straightforward connection between two points.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 31.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused experience for the majority of this drive, with 89% of the route utilizing major freeways. You'll cover a longest uninterrupted stretch of 25.7 miles on the Bayshore Freeway, offering a consistent pace. The Alameda also plays a role, providing a brief change of scenery before merging back onto faster roads. This route is designed for efficient travel, prioritizing directness over winding backroads.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Bayshore Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 25.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bayshore Freeway and I 880. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 31.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (I 880): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 880 North: Oakland
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 880
Merge onto I 880
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
4.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward US 101 South: Los Angeles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 4B
Toward US 101 South: Los Angeles
5
4.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Merge onto US 101 / Bayshore Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
30.3 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward San Martin Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward San Martin Avenue
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bayshore Freeway | 25.7 mi | 29m |
| I 880 | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| The Alameda | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Lafayette Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East San Martin Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| El Camino Real | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Market Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Lincoln Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bayshore Freeway
— 25.7 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Clara, CA and San Martin, CA.
1
Start on Lincoln Street
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Lincoln Street
2
Turn left onto CA 82
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
El Camino Real
3
Turn slight right
151 ft
·
6 sec
Use the right lane.
4
Turn slight right onto Lafayette Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lafayette Street
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Market Street
6
Continue on The Alameda
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
The Alameda
7
Continue on CA 82
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
The Alameda
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 880 North: Oakland
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 880
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
I 880
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 4B
Toward US 101 South: Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto US 101
26 mi
·
29 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward San Martin Avenue
13
Turn right onto East San Martin Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East San Martin Avenue
14
Continue on East San Martin Avenue
109 ft
·
31 sec
·
East San Martin Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
East San Martin Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.15 one way
$14.30 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.37 | $14.73 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.56 | $15.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.87 | $13.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.9 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 | 9.3 | 0 | $3.27 | $1.49 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
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 Martin, CA
Morning in San Martin on Thursday
Local time
10:48 AM
PDT
Current temp
45°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
2 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
40m 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 Santa Clara, CA to San Martin, CA covers 31.1 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Bayshore Freeway, I 880, The Alameda. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15.5 miles from Santa Clara, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.15 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 9 decision points packed into just 31.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (I 880): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Santa Clara, CA to San Martin, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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