Cost to drive from San Francisco to San Jose
Driving from San Francisco to San Jose covers 48 miles (77 km) and takes about 1h 0min without stops. At California's current fuel prices (week of 2026-08-31), the fuel for the trip costs about $9.38 in a typical petrol car — here's the full breakdown for petrol, diesel and electric.
Petrol, diesel or electric — priced for your car
Pick the kind of car you drive and whether you are coming back. Everything updates against California's live prices.
Driving San Francisco → San Jose in a family car, electric costs $8.44 less than diesel — 78% of the bill.
San Francisco vs San Jose: which end is cheaper?
Both ends of this route draw on the same regional averages — the comparison below shows what that means at the pump.
What if fuel prices move?
Booking this drive for later in the year? Pump prices swing with crude, season and tax changes — here is the same 48 miles in a typical petrol car at four price levels.
Enter your fuel economy and see stops along the way.
How this cost is calculated
We take the real driving distance between San Francisco and San Jose (48 miles) from OpenStreetMap routing, then multiply by a typical car's fuel use and California's current average pump price. The petrol figure assumes 30 MPG · 7.8 L/100km; diesel and EV use 35 MPG · 6.7 L/100km and 3.5 mi/kWh. Your real cost depends on your car, traffic, driving style and the stations you pick — use the planner for your exact numbers, and check live prices on the California fuel prices page.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to drive from San Francisco to San Jose?
The drive is 48 miles (77 km) and takes about 1h 0min without stops. Fuel costs roughly $9.38 in an average petrol car, $10.76 in a diesel, and $2.32 in an electric car, using California's current fuel prices.
How far is it from San Francisco to San Jose in miles and km?
About 48 miles or 77 kilometres by road — roughly 1h 0min of driving.
Is it cheaper to fill up in San Francisco or San Jose?
Both ends use the same regional prices on this route.
How many times will I need to fill up between San Francisco and San Jose?
None on the way. The drive needs about 1.6 gal of petrol and a typical 15 gal tank covers roughly 450 miles, so one full tank at the start does the whole trip.
Is it cheaper to drive or fly from San Francisco to San Jose?
On fuel alone the drive costs about $9 one way, and that cost splits across everyone in the car — with $2 each for four people, which is where driving usually wins. Against that, the drive takes 1h 0min without stops, and a fair comparison also counts tolls, parking, wear and any overnight stay.
What will this trip cost if fuel prices change?
At today's California average the fuel is about $9. A 10% rise takes it to $10, a 25% rise to $12, and a 10% fall to $8. Prices here update every week from official data, so this page always reflects the current figure.
How do I get the exact cost for my car?
Set the vehicle type on this page for an instant estimate, or open the FuelWide route planner, enter your car's own fuel economy, and it prices the trip on live data — including fuel and charging stops along the way.
Driving distance via OSRM / OpenStreetMap. Fuel prices are California's current official averages; efficiency and electricity rate are typical estimates. Your figure will vary — use the planner for an exact result.