How far is Redwood City, CA from San Jose, CA?

The driving distance from Redwood City, CA to San Jose, CA is about 23.9 miles (38.4 km), with a travel time of about 00h 28m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 21.3 miles (34.2 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 57m 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
23.85 mi
00h 28m
Flight
21.28 mi
34.24 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Redwood City.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
21.28 mi
Kilometers
34.24 km
Flight Time
00h 02m

Driving Distance

Road route
23.85 mi
Kilometers
38.38 km
Drive Time
00h 28m

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 28m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in San Jose
Sat, Apr 18, 9:39 PM PDT
Return by in Redwood City
Sat, Apr 18, 10:08 PM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Redwood City
2026-04-18T21:11
Arrive San Jose
Sat, Apr 18, 9:39 PM PDT
Route Timing
00h 28m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:29 AM to 7:29 PM PDT

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

Leave by
7:32 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Redwood City
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
Mountain View
CA

Community in Contra Costa County, California

From Redwood City
11.6 mi
00h 14m
To San Jose
12.3 mi
00h 14m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
71°F
Saturday

Sunny

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
2 to 7 mph S
Destination
76°F
Saturday

Sunny

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
1 to 7 mph W

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Redwood City and San Jose.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Redwood City and San Jose.

  1. 1

    Start on the route

    146 m · 26 sec

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Broadway

    96 m · 16 sec · Broadway

  3. 3

    Turn sharp left onto Arch Street

    63 m · 13 sec · Arch Street

  4. 4

    Turn right onto Brewster Avenue

    2505 ft · 1 min · Brewster Avenue

  5. 5

    Turn right onto Veterans Boulevard

    1.6 km · 2 min · Veterans Boulevard

  6. 6

    Continue on US 101 South, CA 84 East: San Jose

    109 m · 9 sec

  7. 7

    Continue straight

    2004 ft · 51 sec

  8. 8

    Merge slight left onto Bayshore Freeway

    9.1 mi · 11 min · Bayshore Freeway

  9. 9

    Keep slight left to continue on Bayshore Freeway

    8.4 mi · 10 min · Bayshore Freeway

  10. 10

    Take the exit slight right toward CA 87 South: Guadalupe Parkway

    2145 ft · 53 sec

  11. 11

    Continue on Guadalupe Freeway

    2.5 mi · 3 min · Guadalupe Freeway

  12. 12

    Take the exit slight right toward Julian Street, Saint James Street

    1661 ft · 42 sec

  13. 13

    Turn left onto West Julian Street

    682 ft · 23 sec · West Julian Street

  14. 14

    Continue on West Saint James Street

    867 ft · 28 sec · West Saint James Street

  15. 15

    Turn left onto North Market Street

    127 m · 9 sec · North Market Street

  16. 16

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · North Market Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Redwood City 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
16 steps
6 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
3
1 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
67.2 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Bayshore Freeway
17.5 mi · 73%
Guadalupe Freeway
2.53 mi · 11%
Veterans Boulevard
0.96 mi · 4%
Brewster Avenue
0.47 mi · 2%
US 101 South
0.45 mi · 2%
CA 87 South
0.41 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

Bayshore Freeway

Merge slight left onto Bayshore Freeway

9.12 mi · 00h 11m

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 28m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 58m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+2.6 mi
21.3 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Mountain View
00h 14m from Redwood City
Leave By
7:32 PM PDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Redwood City 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 Redwood City to San Jose?

The road trip is about 23.9 miles (38.4 km) and usually takes 00h 28m 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?

Mountain View is a useful midpoint, sitting about 11.6 miles from Redwood City and 12.3 miles from San Jose.

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

The direct path is about 21.3 miles (34.2 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 7:32 PM PDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $4.85 one way or $9.69 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 7.5 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Redwood City and Sunny near San Jose.

Stop Ideas Near Mountain View

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

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

RAIL

Santa Clara – Great America station

12 mi away
5099 Stars & Stripes Dr.
BUS

Santa Clara station

13 mi away
1001 Railroad Ave.
RAIL

San Jose Diridon station

17 mi away
65 Cahill Street
RAIL

Fremont station

20 mi away
37260 Fremont Blvd.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Redwood City and San Jose. Straight-line distance: 21.28 mi (34.24 km).

Redwood City

#1 Redwood City

A city in San Mateo County, California.

Population85,925
Coordinates37.4852200, -122.2363500
Altitude6
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: (-122.236767, 37.484919)
End: North Market Street (-121.89496, 37.33939)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 38 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 47m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 35m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 28m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 23m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 20m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 17m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.84 gal
3.19 L · about $4.85
Round trip
$9.69
1.68 gal · 6.38 L
Estimated CO2
7.5 kg one way
Round trip: 14.9 kg / 33 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $4.85 $9.69
Mid-grade $6.07 $5.10 $10.19
Premium $6.24 $5.24 $10.49
Diesel $7.57 $6.36 $12.71

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 Redwood City and San Jose. The current time is 21:11:03.

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.