How far is Los Altos Hills, CA from San Francisco, CA?

The driving distance from Los Altos Hills, CA to San Francisco, CA is about 39.1 miles (63 km), with a travel time of about 00h 43m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 31.4 miles (50.5 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 01h 27m 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
39.16 mi
00h 43m
Flight
31.37 mi
50.49 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Los Altos Hills.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
31.37 mi
Kilometers
50.49 km
Flight Time
00h 03m

Driving Distance

Road route
39.16 mi
Kilometers
63.02 km
Drive Time
00h 43m

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 43m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in San Francisco
Sat, Apr 18, 9:53 PM PDT
Return by in Los Altos Hills
Sat, Apr 18, 10:37 PM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Los Altos Hills
2026-04-18T21:09
Arrive San Francisco
Sat, Apr 18, 9:53 PM PDT
Route Timing
00h 43m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:44 AM to 7:44 PM PDT

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

Leave by
7:02 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Los Altos 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
Hillsborough
CA

City in California

From Los Altos Hills
19.6 mi
00h 21m
To San Francisco
19.6 mi
00h 21m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
70°F
Saturday

Sunny

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
2 to 7 mph WSW
Destination
73°F
Saturday

Mostly Sunny

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
0 to 7 mph S

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Los Altos Hills and San Francisco.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Los Altos Hills and San Francisco.

  1. 1

    Start on Alto Verde Lane

    559 ft · 27 sec · Alto Verde Lane

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Concepcion Road

    558 ft · 19 sec · Concepcion Road

  3. 3

    Continue on West Fremont Road

    1.5 km · 3 min · West Fremont Road

  4. 4

    Turn left onto Arastradero Road

    1569 ft · 49 sec · Arastradero Road

  5. 5

    Turn right onto Deer Creek Road

    1.1 km · 2 min · Deer Creek Road

  6. 6

    Turn left onto Page Mill Road

    2812 ft · 53 sec · Page Mill Road

  7. 7

    Take the exit slight right toward I 280 North: San Francisco

    1507 ft · 37 sec

  8. 8

    Merge slight left onto Junipero Serra Freeway

    23.2 mi · 27 min · Junipero Serra Freeway

  9. 9

    Take the exit slight right toward I 380 East: San Francisco International Airport

    1975 ft · 26 sec

  10. 10

    Continue on Quentin L. Kopp Freeway

    1.1 mi · 1 min · Quentin L. Kopp Freeway

  11. 11

    Take the exit slight right toward US 101 North: San Francisco

    1.3 km · 2 min

  12. 12

    Merge slight left onto Bayshore Freeway

    4.9 mi · 6 min · Bayshore Freeway

  13. 13

    Continue on James Lick Freeway

    4.2 mi · 6 min · James Lick Freeway

  14. 14

    Continue on Central Freeway

    1.3 km · 1 min · Central Freeway

  15. 15

    Continue on Octavia Boulevard

    2490 ft · 42 sec · Octavia Boulevard

  16. 16

    Turn right onto Market Street

    629 ft · 32 sec · Market Street

  17. 17

    Keep slight right to continue on Market Street

    961 ft · 35 sec · Market Street

  18. 18

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Market Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Los Altos Hills and San Francisco.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Highway-focused drive

Most of the mileage stays on named highways, so the important moments are ramps, exits, merges, and the final local approach.

Directions
18 steps
5 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
5
2 merges, 3 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
45.9 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Junipero Serra Freeway
23.2 mi · 59%
Bayshore Freeway
4.93 mi · 13%
James Lick Freeway
4.2 mi · 11%
Quentin L. Kopp Freeway
1.13 mi · 3%
West Fremont Road
0.92 mi · 2%
Central Freeway
0.8 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

Junipero Serra Freeway

Merge slight left onto Junipero Serra Freeway

23.2 mi · 00h 27m

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 43m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
01h 28m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+7.7 mi
31.4 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Hillsborough
00h 21m from Los Altos Hills
Leave By
7:02 PM PDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Los Altos Hills and Mostly Sunny near San Francisco.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Los Altos Hills to San Francisco?

The road trip is about 39.1 miles (63 km) and usually takes 00h 43m 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?

Hillsborough is a useful midpoint, sitting about 19.6 miles from Los Altos Hills and 19.6 miles from San Francisco.

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

The direct path is about 31.4 miles (50.5 km), while the road route adds roughly 7.7 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 7:02 PM PDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $7.96 one way or $15.92 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 12.3 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Los Altos Hills and Mostly Sunny near San Francisco.

Stop Ideas Near Hillsborough

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

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Hillsborough, 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 Hillsborough.

BUS

San Francisco (Civic Center), California

23 mi away
1150 Market Street
BUS

San Francisco (Caltrain), California

23 mi away
700 4th St.
BUS

San Francisco (Conv Ctr), California

23 mi away
747 Howard St.
BUS

San Francisco (Shopping), California

24 mi away
835 Market Street

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Los Altos Hills and San Francisco. Straight-line distance: 31.37 mi (50.49 km).

Los Altos Hills

#1 Los Altos Hills

City in Santa Clara County, California, United States

Population8,400
Coordinates37.3796600, -122.1374600
Altitude89
CountryUnited States
San Francisco

#2 San Francisco

The seventeenth most populous city in the United States and the center of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Population866,606
Coordinates37.7749300, -122.4194200
Altitude16
CountryUnited States
Start: Alto Verde Lane (-122.137263, 37.380001)
End: Market Street (-122.419433, 37.774953)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 63 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)01h 18m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 58m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 46m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 39m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 33m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 29m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
1.38 gal
5.23 L · about $7.96
Round trip
$15.92
2.76 gal · 10.46 L
Estimated CO2
12.3 kg one way
Round trip: 24.5 kg / 54 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $7.96 $15.92
Mid-grade $6.07 $8.37 $16.74
Premium $6.24 $8.62 $17.23
Diesel $7.57 $10.44 $20.88

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 Los Altos Hills and San Francisco. The current time is 21:09:46.

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.