Drive time

Can you drive from San Jose to San Simeon in one day?

Yes. It is about 4 hours of pure driving on CA-17 and CA-1, and roughly 5 h 15 min door to door once you add real breaks and a meal. Start early and you arrive with daylight to spare.

Distance

170 miles

Driving only

4 h

Breaks and meals

1 h 15 min

Door to door

5 h 15 min

How we count the time

A 15-minute stop every two hours for fuel, restrooms and a stretch, plus a 45-minute sit-down meal every four hours. Traffic, weather and construction come on top, so check the live route before you leave.

If you want to break it up

Big Sur sits 97 miles in, about 2 h 17 min from San Jose, leaving 73 miles for the next morning. It is the most even split on the route and has plenty of hotels near the highway.

More on this drive

• Full drive guide
• Best places to stop
• Gas cost
• Driving it in an EV