Los Angeles to San Jose distance
Los Angeles and San Jose are 306 miles (492 km) apart in a straight line and 340 miles (547 km) apart by road: about 6 hr 25 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-5 and CA 152. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 340 mi (547 km)
- Driving time
- 6 hr 25 min
- Straight line
- 306 mi (492 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 306 mi (492 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 340 mi (547 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 6 hr 25 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +11% 1.11 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 53 mph (85 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 319° (northwest) leaving Los Angeles toward San Jose |
| Midpoint | 35.7099° N, 120.0318° W near Whitley Gardens (California) |
| Halfway by road | Near Waukena (California) 170 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Los Angeles: 284 ft (87 m) · San Jose: 81 ft (25 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Los Angeles: 3,869,089 · San Jose: 989,814 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Los Angeles to San Jose by road
The fastest driving route is 340 miles (547 km) long and takes about 6 hr 25 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-5 (249 mi), CA 152 (41.1 mi), and US 101 (36.1 mi).
The whole route stays in California. That’s an average of 53 mph (85 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 3 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 7 hr 25 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Los Angeles and San Jose are 306 miles (492 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 11% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 111. The route runs almost straight. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 70th for detour (the average is 16%).
From Los Angeles, San Jose lies to the northwest (bearing 319°), and from San Jose, Los Angeles lies to the southeast. The straight line reaches San Jose on a bearing of 317°: on a sphere the bearing keeps changing along the way, which is why the shortest route looks slightly curved on a flat map.
Halfway between Los Angeles and San Jose
Halfway along the straight line, 153 miles (246 km) from each city, is the point 35.7099° N, 120.0318° W. It falls near Whitley Gardens (California, pop. 244), 27.0 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is East Niles (California, pop. 28,532), 66.8 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 170 miles (274 km) from each city, near Waukena (California, pop. 62), 26.7 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is East Niles (California, pop. 28,532), 69.1 mi away. The two midpoints are 17.4 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
Los Angeles and San Jose share the same time all year: both are on Pacific Time.
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
Los Angeles sits at 284 ft (87 m) and San Jose at 81 ft (25 m), 203 ft (62 m) lower.
Los Angeles has 3.9 million people and San Jose 989,814 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Los Angeles to San Jose?
306 miles (492 km) in a straight line and 340 miles (547 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-5 and CA 152).
How long is the drive from Los Angeles to San Jose?
About 6 hr 25 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 3 stops of 20 minutes, about 7 hr 25 min.
Where is the halfway point between Los Angeles and San Jose?
In a straight line, near Whitley Gardens (California). By road, 170 mi from each city, near Waukena (California).
Are Los Angeles and San Jose in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Pacific Time all year.
Which city is higher, Los Angeles or San Jose?
Los Angeles, at 284 ft (87 m); San Jose sits at 81 ft (25 m).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
Similar pairs
The ones in this series whose cities are closest to these two, in case another one suits you better.
- Los Angeles to San Francisco 347 mi straight line · 382 mi by road · 7 hr 10 min San Francisco, 41.6 mi from San Jose
- Los Angeles to Sacramento 361 mi straight line · 384 mi by road · 7 hr 5 min Sacramento, 88.4 mi from San Jose
- San Francisco to San Diego 458 mi straight line · 501 mi by road · 9 hr 25 min San Diego, 112 mi from Los Angeles · San Francisco, 41.6 mi from San Jose
More distances from Los Angeles
All distances- Los Angeles to Seattle 959 mi straight line · 1,135 mi by road · 21 hr 30 min
- Los Angeles to Portland 825 mi straight line · 963 mi by road · 18 hr 10 min
- Los Angeles to Denver 831 mi straight line · 1,017 mi by road · 17 hr 50 min
- Los Angeles to Salt Lake City 579 mi straight line · 688 mi by road · 12 hr
- Los Angeles to Dallas 1,240 mi straight line · 1,438 mi by road · 24 hr 45 min
- Los Angeles to Miami 2,339 mi straight line · 2,733 mi by road · 47 hr 55 min
More distances from San Jose
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology