Car hire and driving in San Jose
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In United States traffic drives on the right. Picking up at SJC means 4 km (2 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q533806.
Drives from San Jose
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose to Hayward | United States | 40 km (25 mi) | about 33 min |
| San Jose to San Mateo | United States | 45 km (28 mi) | about 37 min |
| San Jose to Oakland | United States | 61 km (38 mi) | about 50 min |
| San Jose to Daly City | United States | 64 km (40 mi) | about 52 min |
| San Jose to San Francisco | United States | 67 km (42 mi) | about 54 min |
| San Jose to Berkeley | United States | 68 km (42 mi) | about 55 min |
| San Jose to Concord | United States | 72 km (45 mi) | about 59 min |
| San Jose to Antioch | United States | 74 km (46 mi) | about 1 h 1 min |
| San Jose to Salinas | United States | 77 km (48 mi) | about 1 h 2 min |
| San Jose to Richmond | United States | 77 km (48 mi) | about 1 h 3 min |
| San Jose to Modesto | United States | 86 km (53 mi) | about 1 h 10 min |
| San Jose to Stockton | United States | 87 km (54 mi) | about 1 h 11 min |
| San Jose to Los Angeles | United States | 492 km (306 mi) | about 6 h 40 min |
| San Jose to Tijuana | Mexico | 698 km (434 mi) | about 9 h 28 min |
| San Jose to Phoenix | United States | 989 km (615 mi) | about 13 h 24 min |
| San Jose to Ciudad Juárez | Mexico | 1,543 km (959 mi) | about 20 h 55 min |
| San Jose to San Diego | United States | 670 km (417 mi) | about 9 h 5 min |
| San Jose to Calgary | Canada | 1,645 km (1,022 mi) | about 22 h 18 min |
| San Jose to Mexicali | Mexico | 786 km (489 mi) | about 10 h 39 min |
| San Jose to Chihuahua | Mexico | 1,760 km (1,093 mi) | about 23 h 51 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in San Jose?
The right, as everywhere in United States.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.