How far is Los Gatos, CA from San Jose, CA?

The driving distance from Los Gatos, CA to San Jose, CA is about 11.5 miles (18.5 km), with a travel time of about 00h 13m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 8.9 miles (14.4 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 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
11.5 mi
00h 13m
Flight
8.94 mi
14.39 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Los Gatos.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
8.94 mi
Kilometers
14.39 km
Flight Time
00h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
11.5 mi
Kilometers
18.51 km
Drive Time
00h 13m

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 13m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in San Jose
Sun, May 31, 12:06 AM PDT
Return by in Los Gatos
Sun, May 31, 12:20 AM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Los Gatos
2026-05-30T23:53
Arrive San Jose
Sun, May 31, 12:06 AM PDT
Route Timing
00h 13m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:14 AM to 7:14 PM PDT

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

Leave by
8:02 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Los Gatos
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
Campbell
CA

A city in Santa Clara County, California.

From Los Gatos
5.7 mi
00h 06m
To San Jose
5.8 mi
00h 06m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
70°F
Today

Sunny

Starts
Sat, May 30 11:00 AM PDT
Wind
9 mph WSW
Destination
76°F
Today

Sunny

Starts
Sat, May 30 9:00 AM PDT
Wind
3 to 8 mph WSW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Los Gatos and San Jose.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Los Gatos and San Jose.

  1. 1

    Start on CA 9: Los Gatos, Saratoga

    1 m · 1 sec

  2. 2

    Turn straight onto Los Gatos-Saratoga Road

    60 m · 3 sec · Los Gatos-Saratoga Road

  3. 3

    Take the ramp slight right toward CA 17 South

    890 ft · 22 sec

  4. 4

    Merge slight left onto CA 17

    6 m · 1 sec

  5. 5

    Take the exit slight right toward East Los Gatos

    840 ft · 28 sec

  6. 6

    Turn straight onto Los Gatos-Saratoga Road

    60 m · 3 sec · Los Gatos-Saratoga Road

  7. 7

    Take the ramp slight right toward CA 17 North: San Jose

    779 ft · 21 sec

  8. 8

    Merge slight left

    6.4 mi · 7 min

  9. 9

    Take the exit slight right toward I 280 South: Downtown San Jose

    2969 ft · 51 sec

  10. 10

    Merge slight left onto Sinclair Freeway

    2.3 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 Los Gatos 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
4 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
8
3 merges, 5 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
147.8 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
CA 17 North
6.57 mi · 57%
Sinclair Freeway
2.26 mi · 20%
CA 87 North
1.26 mi · 11%
I 280 South
0.56 mi · 5%
Julian Street
0.19 mi · 2%
CA 17 South
0.17 mi · 1%
Longest Stretch

CA 17 North

Merge slight left

6.42 mi · 00h 08m

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 13m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 28m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+2.6 mi
8.9 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Campbell
00h 06m from Los Gatos
Leave By
8:02 PM PDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Los Gatos and Sunny near San Jose.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Los Gatos to San Jose?

The road trip is about 11.5 miles (18.5 km) and usually takes 00h 13m 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?

Campbell is a useful midpoint, sitting about 5.7 miles from Los Gatos and 5.8 miles from San Jose.

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

The direct path is about 8.9 miles (14.4 km), while the road route adds roughly 2.6 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 8:02 PM PDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $2.37 one way or $4.73 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 3.6 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Los Gatos and Sunny near San Jose.

Stop Ideas Near Campbell

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

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

BUS

Santa Clara station

7 mi away
1001 Railroad Ave.
RAIL

San Jose Diridon station

7 mi away
65 Cahill Street
RAIL

Santa Clara – Great America station

10 mi away
5099 Stars & Stripes Dr.
BUS

Fremont (San Joaquin Buses), California

28 mi away
999 Upper Mission Blvd

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Los Gatos and San Jose. Straight-line distance: 8.94 mi (14.39 km).

Los Gatos

#1 Los Gatos

Incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California

Population30,266
Coordinates37.2266100, -121.9746800
Altitude105
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: Los Gatos-Saratoga Road (-121.974723, 37.226526)
End: North Market Street (-121.89496, 37.33939)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 19 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 22m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 17m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 13m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 11m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 09m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 08m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.41 gal
1.54 L · about $2.37
Round trip
$4.73
0.82 gal · 3.08 L
Estimated CO2
3.6 kg one way
Round trip: 7.3 kg / 16 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $2.37 $4.73
Mid-grade $6.07 $2.49 $4.97
Premium $6.24 $2.56 $5.12
Diesel $7.57 $3.10 $6.20

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 · May 31, 2026

There is no time difference between Los Gatos and San Jose. The current time is 23:53:24.

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.