There are 4 ways to get from San Jose to Palo Alto by train, bus, taxi, or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Caltrain
best- Take the train from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to California Avenue Caltrain Northboundtrain Local Weekday / ...
24 min$5–7Line 22 bus
cheapest- Take the bus from Santa Clara & Almaden Blvd to El Camino & Californiabus Rapid 522 / ...
1h 20m$2–5Taxi
- Take the taxi from San Jose to Palo Altotaxi 17 mi
20 min$60–75Drive 17 mi
- Drive from San Jose to Palo Altocar 17 mi
20 min$4–5
San Jose to Palo Alto by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from San Jose to Palo Alto is to drive which costs $3 - $5 and takes 20 min.
The fastest way to get from San Jose to Palo Alto is to taxi which takes 20 min and costs $60 - $75.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Santa Clara & Almaden Blvd and arriving at El Camino & California. Services depart every 10 minutes, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 1h 20m.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound and arriving at California Avenue Caltrain Northbound. Services depart every 30 minutes, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 24 min.
The distance between San Jose and Palo Alto is 15 miles. The road distance is 17.1 miles.
The best way to get from San Jose to Palo Alto without a car is to Caltrain which takes 24 min and costs $5 - $7.
The Caltrain from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to California Avenue Caltrain Northbound takes 24 min including transfers and departs every 30 minutes.
San Jose to Palo Alto bus services, operated by Santa Clara VTA, depart from Santa Clara & Almaden Blvd station.
San Jose to Palo Alto train services, operated by Caltrain, depart from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound station.
The best way to get from San Jose to Palo Alto is to Caltrain which takes 24 min and costs $5 - $7. Alternatively, you can line 22 bus, which costs $2 - $5 and takes 1h 20m.
What companies run services between San Jose, CA, USA and Palo Alto, CA, USA?
Caltrain operates a train from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to California Avenue Caltrain Northbound every 30 minutes. Tickets cost $5–7 and the journey takes 24 min. Alternatively, Santa Clara VTA operates a bus from Santa Clara & Almaden Blvd to El Camino & California every 10 minutes. Tickets cost $2–5 and the journey takes 1h 20m.
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- caltrain.com
Train from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to California Avenue Caltrain Northbound
- Ave. Duration
- 24 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $5–7
- Website
- https://www.caltrain.com
- Schedules at
- https://www.caltrain.com/?active_tab=route_explorer_tab
- One-way Adult
- $5–7
- Phone
- +1 408-321-2300
- Website
- vta.org
Bus from Santa Clara & Almaden Blvd to El Camino & California
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2–5
- Website
- https://www.vta.org/
- Adult
- $2–5
- Ave. Duration
- 20 min
- Estimated price
- $60–75
AJ Taxi Services
- Phone
- +1 408-759-9654
- Website
- ajtaxiservices.com
Taxi San Jose
- Phone
- +1 408-459-8010
- Website
- taxisanjose.com
Yellow Checker Cab
- Phone
- +1 408-777-7777
- Website
- yellowcheckercab.com
Want to know more about travelling around the world?
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Read our range of informative guides on popular transport routes and companies - including Travelling to the US: What do I need to know?, Travelling to the UK: What do I need to know?, and Bali: What to do if Mount Agung erupts - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
More Questions & Answers
San Jose to Palo Alto bus services, operated by Santa Clara VTA, arrive at El Camino & California station.
San Jose to Palo Alto train services, operated by Caltrain, arrive at California Avenue Caltrain Northbound station.
Yes, the driving distance between San Jose to Palo Alto is 17 miles. It takes approximately 20 min to drive from San Jose to Palo Alto.
There are 501+ hotels available in Palo Alto.






