Day trip from San Mateo to San Jose
San Jose lies 45 km (28 mi) south-east of San Mateo, in the same time zone. What the numbers say about getting there.
At 45 km (28 mi) apart, San Jose is a realistic day trip from San Mateo: about 44 min each way by road.
| San Mateo | San Jose | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | United States |
| Population | 103,536 | 997,368 |
| Elevation | 13 m (43 ft) | 23 m (75 ft) |
| Time now | UTC-7 (America/Los_Angeles) | UTC-7 (America/Los_Angeles) |
| Postal codes | 94401–94497 | 95025–95196 |
What to see in San Jose
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose Public Library | 6,855,000 | 2016 |
| Santa Clara County Fairgrounds | 850,000 | 2003 |
The busiest is San Jose Public Library at 6,855,000 visitors in 2016. At that volume, anything with a gate is worth a timed ticket or an early start.
Where to book tours and tickets in San Jose
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.
Staying in San Jose
Our booking partner lists 159 places to stay in San Jose. Of the 133 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (73), and 2 are five-star. Across 74 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 7.9 out of 10. Guests have left 43,988 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in San Jose
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is San Jose from San Mateo?
45 km (28 mi) in a straight line, south-east of San Mateo; by road roughly 55 km (34 mi).
How long does it take to get from San Mateo to San Jose by road?
About 44 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between San Mateo and San Jose?
No, both are on America/Los_Angeles at the moment.
Where can I stay in San Jose?
Our booking partner lists 159 places to stay in San Jose, bookable on this site.
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.