How far is Emerald Lake Hills, CA from San Jose, CA?

The driving distance from Emerald Lake Hills, CA to San Jose, CA is about 27.8 miles (44.7 km), with a travel time of about 00h 32m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 22.2 miles (35.8 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 01h 04m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
27.79 mi
00h 32m
Flight
22.23 mi
35.78 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Emerald Lake Hills.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
22.23 mi
Kilometers
35.78 km
Flight Time
00h 02m

Driving Distance

Road route
27.79 mi
Kilometers
44.72 km
Drive Time
00h 32m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 32m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in San Jose
Sun, Apr 19, 4:40 AM PDT
Return by in Emerald Lake Hills
Sun, Apr 19, 5:12 AM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Emerald Lake Hills
2026-04-19T04:07
Arrive San Jose
Sun, Apr 19, 4:40 AM PDT
Route Timing
00h 32m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:32 AM to 7:32 PM PDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:26 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Emerald Lake Hills
10:00 PM PDT
Flexible departure

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Loyola
CA

Unincorporated community in California

From Emerald Lake Hills
13.9 mi
00h 16m
To San Jose
13.9 mi
00h 16m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
65°F
Sunday

Mostly Sunny

Starts
Sun, Apr 19 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
5 to 10 mph SW
Destination
70°F
Sunday

Chance Light Rain

Starts
Sun, Apr 19 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
3 to 10 mph SW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Emerald Lake Hills and San Jose.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Emerald Lake Hills and San Jose.

  1. 1

    Start on Midland Way

    51 m · 10 sec · Midland Way

  2. 2

    Turn left onto Vernal Way

    653 ft · 23 sec · Vernal Way

  3. 3

    Turn right onto Lakeview Way

    1586 ft · 54 sec · Lakeview Way

  4. 4

    Continue on Lakeview Way

    55 m · 8 sec · Lakeview Way

  5. 5

    Turn slight left onto Jefferson Avenue

    1191 ft · 36 sec · Jefferson Avenue

  6. 6

    Turn right onto Emerald Hill Road

    2381 ft · 1 min · Emerald Hill Road

  7. 7

    At the end of the road, turn right onto Farm Hill Boulevard

    1.2 mi · 3 min · Farm Hill Boulevard

  8. 8

    Take the ramp left toward I 280 South: San Jose

    1862 ft · 45 sec

  9. 9

    Merge slight left onto Junipero Serra Freeway

    20.5 mi · 24 min · Junipero Serra Freeway

  10. 10

    Continue on Sinclair Freeway

    2.9 mi · 3 min · Sinclair Freeway

  11. 11

    Take the exit slight right toward CA 87 North, CA 87 South: San Jose International Airport, Guadalupe Parkway

    1244 ft · 30 sec

  12. 12

    Keep slight left to continue on CA 87 North: San Jose International Airport, Guadalupe Parkway

    1.2 km · 2 min

  13. 13

    Keep slight left to continue on CA 87 North

    1469 ft · 36 sec

  14. 14

    Keep slight right to continue on Julian Street

    982 ft · 26 sec

  15. 15

    Turn right onto West Saint James Street

    867 ft · 28 sec · West Saint James Street

  16. 16

    Turn left onto North Market Street

    127 m · 9 sec · North Market Street

  17. 17

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · North Market Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Emerald Lake Hills and San Jose.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
17 steps
7 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
3
1 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
61.2 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Junipero Serra Freeway
20.5 mi · 74%
Sinclair Freeway
2.86 mi · 10%
CA 87 North
1.26 mi · 5%
Farm Hill Boulevard
1.17 mi · 4%
Emerald Hill Road
0.45 mi · 2%
I 280 South
0.35 mi · 1%
Longest Stretch

Junipero Serra Freeway

Merge slight left onto Junipero Serra Freeway

20.5 mi · 00h 24m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 32m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
01h 04m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+5.6 mi
22.2 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Loyola
00h 16m from Emerald Lake Hills
Leave By
7:26 PM PDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Mostly Sunny leaving Emerald Lake Hills and Chance Light Rain near San Jose.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Emerald Lake Hills to San Jose?

The road trip is about 27.8 miles (44.7 km) and usually takes 00h 32m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Loyola is a useful midpoint, sitting about 13.9 miles from Emerald Lake Hills and 13.9 miles from San Jose.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 22.2 miles (35.8 km), while the road route adds roughly 5.6 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:26 PM PDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $5.65 one way or $11.31 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 8.7 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Mostly Sunny around Emerald Lake Hills and Chance Light Rain near San Jose.

Stop Ideas Near Loyola

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Loyola, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Loyola.

RAIL

Santa Clara – Great America station

14 mi away
5099 Stars & Stripes Dr.
BUS

Santa Clara station

14 mi away
1001 Railroad Ave.
RAIL

San Jose Diridon station

18 mi away
65 Cahill Street
RAIL

Fremont station

24 mi away
37260 Fremont Blvd.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Emerald Lake Hills and San Jose. Straight-line distance: 22.23 mi (35.78 km).

Emerald Lake Hills

#1 Emerald Lake Hills

Census-designated place and neighborhood in unincorporated San Mateo County, in the state of California

Population4,278
Coordinates37.4646600, -122.2680200
Altitude159
CountryUnited States
San Jose

#2 San Jose

The tenth most populous city in the United States and the center of the San Jose metropolitan area.

Population1,013,616
Coordinates37.3393900, -121.8949600
Altitude26
CountryUnited States
Start: Midland Way (-122.26777, 37.464424)
End: North Market Street (-121.894962, 37.339389)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 45 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 55m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 41m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 33m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 27m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 23m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 20m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.98 gal
3.71 L · about $5.65
Round trip
$11.31
1.96 gal · 7.42 L
Estimated CO2
8.7 kg one way
Round trip: 17.4 kg / 38 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $5.65 $11.31
Mid-grade $6.07 $5.94 $11.89
Premium $6.24 $6.12 $12.24
Diesel $7.57 $7.42 $14.83

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in California · Apr 19, 2026

There is no time difference between Emerald Lake Hills and San Jose. The current time is 04:07:35.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.