CALearn to Drive California
California › Driving test routes › Los Gatos DMV
California DMV

Los Gatos DMVDriving Test Practice Routes

600 N Santa Cruz Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030

Within two miles of Los Gatos DMV there are 43 sets of traffic lights and 25 all-way stops. The office is on North Santa Cruz Avenue, up to 4 lanes wide in places and signed at 15 mph.

Start with the practice routes just below, then see how far a test can reach and how you'll leave the office.

Los Gatos road test practice routes

Practice loops that start and finish at the DMV, each built from Los Gatos's real streets and harder than the last.

These are practice loops we planned. They aren't official DMV test routes. Drive with a licensed supervisor, and follow the signs and conditions on the day, which may differ from the map.

Map of the practice loops around Los Gatos DMVABCDELos Gatos BlvdLos Gatos-Saratoga RdSaratoga-Los Gatos RdWinchester BlvdNorth Santa Cruz AveBlossom Hill RdLark AveQuito RdUniversity AveDaves AveShannon RdKennedy RdLos Gatos Almaden RdCherry Blossom LnDMV
Practice loopLightsAll-way stopStop signACrash hotspot
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Stage 1: Quiet streets

Mostly residential streets around Ridgecrest Ave and Hernandez Ave, with no traffic lights. Start here for your first few drives.

Length
3.1 mi
Approx. time
11 min
Turns
16
  • 6 all-way stops
  • 5 stop signs
  • 2.6 miles of residential streets
  • Junction B below, among the busiest for crashes
  • Not covered: traffic lights
Open in Google Maps

Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.

Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.

Turn-by-turn directions (19 steps)
  1. Leave the DMV and head south on North Santa Cruz Avenue. 400 ft
  2. Turn right onto Thurston Street. 350 ft
  3. Turn left onto Monterey Avenue. 400 ft
  4. At the all-way stop, turn right onto Andrews Street. 0.1 mi Straight through 1 all-way stop.
  5. Turn left onto Montgomery Street. 0.2 mi
  6. At the stop sign, turn left onto Los Gatos-Saratoga Road. 100 ft
  7. At the stop sign, turn right onto Massol Avenue. 0.1 mi
  8. Turn right onto Bachman Avenue. 0.2 mi
  9. Turn left onto Alexander Avenue. 0.1 mi
  10. Continue onto Ellenwood Avenue. 0.2 mi
  11. At the all-way stop, turn right onto Hernandez Avenue. 0.4 mi
  12. Continue onto Beck Avenue. 350 ft
  13. Turn right onto Ridgecrest Avenue. 0.6 mi
  14. At the stop sign, turn right onto Saratoga-Los Gatos Road. 0.3 mi
  15. Turn left onto Rose Avenue. 0.1 mi
  16. At the stop sign, turn right onto Andrews Street. 0.3 mi Straight through 2 all-way stops.
  17. At the all-way stop, turn left onto Monterey Avenue. 400 ft
  18. At the stop sign, turn right onto Thurston Street. 350 ft
  19. Turn left onto North Santa Cruz Avenue and return to the DMV. 400 ft

Where the Los Gatos DMV drive test can go

Every drive test starts and finishes at the office, so the closer a road is, the more likely you are to drive it. The shading shows how long each road takes to reach from the DMV.

Saratoga-Los Gatos RdLos Gatos BlvdWinchester BlvdLos Gatos-Saratoga RdSouth Bascom AveSouth Santa Cruz AveBlossom Hill RdLark AveDMV
Under 2 min2 to 4 min4 to 6 min
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Within a 6-minute drive

  • 28sets of traffic lights
  • 17all-way stops
  • 7schools

Main roads in the area: Saratoga-Los Gatos Rd, Los Gatos Blvd, University Ave, Blossom Hill Rd, Winchester Blvd, Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd, Daves Ave and Quito Rd.

Drive times are our estimates from speed limits, with time added for lights and stops. They aren't DMV figures.

Leaving and returning to Los Gatos DMV

The parking lot and the first junction are the only parts of the route you can be sure of. The office is on N Santa Cruz Avenue.

12Los Gatos-Saratoga RdBlossom Hill RdUniversity AveDMV
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
P

In the parking lot

The test sheet scores how you drive through the lot, so watch for people and cars, keep it slow, and take extra care reversing out of your space.

1

South to Andrews St

0.1 mi along North Santa Cruz Ave to Andrews Street, where there are lights.

2

North to Blossom Hill Rd

0.1 mi along North Santa Cruz Ave to Blossom Hill Road, where there are lights.

The roads around Los Gatos DMV

What you'll be dealing with near the office, counted from map data within 2 miles.

43

Sets of traffic lights

Most are on Los Gatos Blvd and Blossom Hill Rd.

25

All-way stops

Wedgewood Ave has 5 of them.

8

Schools

The limit near a school drops to 25 mph when children are around.

4 mi

One-way streets

Check the arrows before every turn, and start from the correct side of the road.

2

Railroad crossings

Look both ways, never stop on the tracks, and wait if there isn't room on the other side.

6

Roundabouts

Give way to traffic already in the roundabout and signal as you leave.

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, downloaded 2026-10-07. Counts cover public roads within 2 miles of the office.

Where to practice each part of the California drive test

The DMV's drive test score sheet (form DL 32) marks you on parking lot driving, backing, intersections, turns, lane changes, and business and residential driving. Here's where to practice near Los Gatos DMV.

  • Parking lot driving

    The DMV lot itself, at the start and end of every test
    Every loop
  • Stopping at all-way stops

    Andrews St, 2 in a row
    Stage 1
  • Lights you drive straight through

    Blossom Hill Rd: 5 sets of lights in 1.2 mi
    Stage 2
  • Left turn at lights

    From Blossom Hill Rd onto Los Gatos Blvd
    Stage 2
  • Left turn without lights

    From North Santa Cruz Ave onto Roberts Rd, giving way to oncoming traffic
    Stage 3
  • Right turn at lights

    From North Santa Cruz Ave onto Blossom Hill Rd
    Stage 2
  • Lane changes

    Blossom Hill Rd, a multi-lane road
    Stage 2
  • Residential streets

    Ridgecrest Ave and the streets around it
    Stage 1
  • Freeway merging

    Only scored on supplemental (referral) tests. For practice, the nearest on-ramp is on Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd
    Not on a loop

Score sheet sections from California DMV form DL 32. Places from OpenStreetMap.

Which lane do I need near Los Gatos DMV?

Lane layouts at the junctions with lights on our practice routes, as you'd see them approaching. Arrows show which way each lane can go.

Blossom Hill Rd and Mariposa Ave

On Stage 2.

Heading south on North Santa Cruz Ave
Left, straight
Heading northeast on North Santa Cruz Ave
Left or straight, right

Heading south, there's no separate right-turn lane, so turn right from the right-hand lane.

Blossom Hill Rd and Los Gatos Blvd

On Stage 2.

Heading east on Blossom Hill Rd
Left, left, straight, straight
Heading west on Blossom Hill Rd
Left, left, straight, straight

Two lanes turn left heading east. Start and finish the turn in the same lane.

Blossom Hill Rd and Cherry Blossom Ln

On Stage 2.

Heading west on Blossom Hill Rd
Left, straight, straight, straight
Heading east on Blossom Hill Rd
Left, straight, straight

Heading west, there's no separate right-turn lane, so turn right from the right-hand lane.

Lark Ave and Los Gatos Blvd

On Stage 3.

Heading southeast on Lark Ave
Left, left or straight
Heading northeast on Los Gatos Blvd
Left or reverse, left, left, straight, right or straight

Two lanes turn left heading southeast. Start and finish the turn in the same lane.

Lane layouts from OpenStreetMap. Road markings can change, so always follow the arrows painted on the road.

What causes crashes on Los Gatos's roads

Recorded causes of the 734 crashes on local roads within 2 miles of the office from 2021 to 2025, leaving out freeways. Unsafe turn or lane change and too fast for conditions top the list.

Unsafe turn or lane change
27%
Too fast for conditions
26%
Not yielding
12%
Impaired driving
9%
Unsafe reversing or pulling out
6%
Running a red light
5%
Stop sign violation
3%
Following too closely
1%

Share of the 631 crashes where a cause was recorded. Other causes made up the remaining 10%. About 27% of these crashes happened after dark. Source: California Crash Reporting System, California Highway Patrol, via data.ca.gov.

Los Gatos junctions worth practicing

The junctions within 2 miles of the office with the most crashes from 2021 to 2025. Each one is marked on the practice routes map.

A

Los Gatos Blvd and Lark Ave

19 crashes from 2021 to 2025

1.5 mi from the office. On Stage 3. 7 people were hurt.

Most were rear-end crashes. Leave a bigger gap than you think you need, and brake early and smoothly when the lights change.

B

Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd and Massol Ave

15 crashes from 2021 to 2025

0.4 mi from the office. On Stage 1. 13 people were hurt.

Many involved hitting a fixed object. Keep to the center of your lane and take the approach slowly.

C

Los Gatos Blvd and Blossom Hill Rd

13 crashes from 2021 to 2025

0.8 mi from the office. On Stage 2 and 3. 9 people were hurt.

Many involved hitting a fixed object. Keep to the center of your lane and take the approach slowly.

D

Los Gatos Blvd and Garden Ln

10 crashes from 2021 to 2025

1.4 mi from the office. On Stage 3. 2 people were hurt.

Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 3.

E

Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd and University Ave

10 crashes from 2021 to 2025

0.4 mi from the office. On Stage 3. 3 people were hurt.

Take this junction slowly and look all around before you go.

Crashes located within about 100 feet of each junction. Source: California Crash Reporting System, California Highway Patrol, via data.ca.gov.

Booked your Los Gatos road test?

See routes from real Los Gatos tests

Once you're confident on these loops, the Driving Test Routes app has 5 routes recorded from real tests at Los Gatos DMV, with turn-by-turn voice directions on your phone.

QR code: get the Driving Test Routes app

On a computer?Scan with your phone's camera to get the app.

Your first week is free.

We earn a commission if you subscribe through these links.

Los Gatos driving test questions

Where does the Los Gatos DMV driving test go?

The DMV doesn't publish its test routes. Every test starts and finishes in the office parking lot, and the roads closest to the office are the ones you're most likely to drive, such as Saratoga-Los Gatos Rd, Los Gatos Blvd, University Ave. Routes recorded from real Los Gatos tests are in the Driving Test Routes app.

Are these the real Los Gatos test routes?

No. Our practice routes are loops we planned from Los Gatos's street data to cover the skills on the test. They're for practice, not a copy of the DMV's routes.

What do you need to pass the California drive test?

The DMV's score sheet (form DL 32) says you pass with no more than 15 errors on the driving maneuvers and no critical driving errors. Before you set off, you also need no more than 3 errors on the parking brake, arm signals, wipers, defroster, emergency flashers and headlights.

What makes Los Gatos's roads tricky for learners?

Within 2 miles of the office, North Santa Cruz Avenue is up to 4 lanes wide; there are 25 all-way stops.

Which junctions near Los Gatos DMV have the most crashes?

Los Gatos Blvd and Lark Ave (19), Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd and Massol Ave (15), Los Gatos Blvd and Blossom Hill Rd (13), counting crashes from 2021 to 2025.

How do I book a drive test at Los Gatos DMV?

Book online through the California DMV appointments page, choosing Los Gatos as your office. Book on the DMV website.

Los Gatos DMV office information

Address

600 N Santa Cruz Avenue
Los Gatos, CA 95030

Phone: (800) 777-0133

Book a drive test

Opening hours

Monday8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Tuesday8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursday8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Friday8:00 am to 5:00 pm
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

Hours can change on holidays. Check the DMV's Los Gatos page before you go.

Directions in Google Maps

Nearby offices

Services at Los Gatos DMV

  • Behind-the-wheel drive tests
  • Written knowledge tests
  • Motorcycle driving tests
  • Driver's license and ID applications
  • Replacement documents
  • Vehicle registration and renewals
  • Title transfers
  • License plates
  • Disabled parking placards
  • Driver and vehicle records