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

The driving distance from San Mateo, CA to Redwood City, CA is about 8.6 miles (13.9 km), with a travel time of about 00h 12m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 7.3 miles (11.7 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 25m 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
8.61 mi
00h 12m
Flight
7.26 mi
11.69 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from San Mateo.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
7.26 mi
Kilometers
11.69 km
Flight Time

Driving Distance

Road route
8.61 mi
Kilometers
13.86 km
Drive Time
00h 12m

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 12m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Redwood City
Thu, Oct 15, 12:44 PM PDT
Return by in San Mateo
Thu, Oct 15, 12:57 PM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave San Mateo
2026-10-15T12:31
Arrive Redwood City
Thu, Oct 15, 12:44 PM PDT
Route Timing
00h 12m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:13 AM to 7:13 PM PDT

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

Leave by
8:04 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in San Mateo
10:00 PM PDT
Flexible departure

This departure sits inside the recommended comfort window for the route.

Halfway Point

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

Mid-route stop
Belmont
CA

Town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States

From San Mateo
4.3 mi
00h 06m
To Redwood City
4.3 mi
00h 06m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
San Mateo Weather
CA
Live fallback forecast
80°F
Today
Using Belmont as the closest live forecast in the San Mateo County weather hub.

Sunny

Starts
Thu, Oct 15 8:00 AM PDT
Wind
3 to 9 mph ENE
Destination
83°F
Today

Sunny

Starts
Thu, Oct 15 8:00 AM PDT
Wind
3 to 9 mph ENE

Driving Route Map

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

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

  1. 1

    Start on South El Camino Real

    29 m · 7 sec · South El Camino Real

  2. 2

    Turn right onto East 3rd Avenue

    2254 ft · 50 sec · East 3rd Avenue

  3. 3

    Turn right onto South Delaware Street

    114 m · 15 sec · South Delaware Street

  4. 4

    Turn left onto East 4th Avenue

    954 ft · 29 sec · East 4th Avenue

  5. 5

    Keep slight left to continue on East 4th Avenue

    785 ft · 20 sec · East 4th Avenue

  6. 6

    Take the ramp slight right toward US 101 South: San Jose

    1407 ft · 39 sec

  7. 7

    Merge slight left onto Bayshore Freeway

    6.1 mi · 7 min · Bayshore Freeway

  8. 8

    Take the exit slight right toward Whipple Avenue

    969 ft · 24 sec

  9. 9

    Continue on Veterans Boulevard

    2963 ft · 1 min · Veterans Boulevard

  10. 10

    Turn right onto Brewster Avenue

    2746 ft · 1 min · Brewster Avenue

  11. 11

    Turn left

    146 m · 21 sec

  12. 12

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between San Mateo and Redwood City.

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
12 steps
5 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
3
1 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
139.5 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Bayshore Freeway
6.15 mi · 71%
Veterans Boulevard
0.56 mi · 7%
Brewster Avenue
0.52 mi · 6%
East 3rd Avenue
0.43 mi · 5%
East 4th Avenue
0.33 mi · 4%
US 101 South
0.27 mi · 3%
Longest Stretch

Bayshore Freeway

Merge slight left onto Bayshore Freeway

6.15 mi · 00h 07m

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 12m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 26m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+1.3 mi
7.3 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Belmont
00h 06m from San Mateo
Leave By
8:04 PM PDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving San Mateo and Sunny near Redwood City.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from San Mateo to Redwood City?

The road trip is about 8.6 miles (13.9 km) and usually takes 00h 12m 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?

Belmont is a useful midpoint, sitting about 4.3 miles from San Mateo and 4.3 miles from Redwood City.

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

The direct path is about 7.3 miles (11.7 km), while the road route adds roughly 1.3 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 8:04 PM PDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $1.88 one way or $3.76 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 2.7 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

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

Stop Ideas Near Belmont

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

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

RAIL

Hayward station

23 mi away
22555 Meekland Avenue
RAIL

Fremont station

24 mi away
37260 Fremont Blvd.
RAIL

Oakland Coliseum station

27 mi away
700 73rd Avenue
BUS

San Francisco (Caltrain), California

30 mi away
700 4th St.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between San Mateo and Redwood City. Straight-line distance: 7.26 mi (11.69 km).

San Mateo

#1 San Mateo

The second most populous city in San Mateo County, California.

Population102,398
Coordinates37.5629900, -122.3255300
Altitude13
CountryUnited States
Redwood City

#2 Redwood City

A city in San Mateo County, California.

Population85,925
Coordinates37.4852200, -122.2363500
Altitude6
CountryUnited States
Start: San Mateo (-122.32553, 37.56299)
End: Redwood City (-122.23635, 37.48522)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 14 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 17m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 12m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 10m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 08m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 07m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 06m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.3 gal
1.15 L · about $1.88
Round trip
$3.76
0.6 gal · 2.3 L
Estimated CO2
2.7 kg one way
Round trip: 5.3 kg / 12 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $6.26 $1.88 $3.76
Mid-grade $6.50 $1.95 $3.90
Premium $6.69 $2.01 $4.01
Diesel $8.41 $2.52 $5.05

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 · Oct 15, 2026

There is no time difference between San Mateo and Redwood City. The current time is 12:31:47.

Distance to Other Cities

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