San Jose is roughly 40–50 miles (about 65–80 km) from San Francisco, depending on the exact start and end points and route.

Quick Scoop

  • The straight‑line distance between the two cities is about 42 miles (67–68 km).
  • Typical driving routes (like US‑101 or I‑280 between city centers) are around 48 miles / 77 km , usually taking 45–60 minutes in light to moderate traffic.
  • From airport to airport (San Jose SJC to San Francisco SFO), the driving distance is about 34 miles (≈55 km) , with an estimated drive of about 40–45 minutes in good conditions.

Travel Time Pointers

  • In rush hour, that same drive can stretch closer to 1–1.5 hours because of Bay Area congestion.
  • Many commuters use Caltrain between the two, often budgeting around 1 hour door‑to‑door if they live and work near stations.

Distance Snapshot (City to City)

[1][9] [3][9][1] [7]
Type Distance
Straight line (city centers) ≈42 miles / 67–68 km
Typical driving route (city centers) ≈48 miles / 77 km
Airport to airport (SJC–SFO) drive ≈34 miles / 55 km
**TL;DR:** If you’re planning a regular trip, think of it as about a **45–60 minute, ~50‑mile drive** under normal conditions between San Jose and San Francisco.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.