Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to San Jose

Right now (7:50 pm PST): about 55 minutes via I-880 South, usually 45 at this time.

Only 48% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Berkeley to San Jose by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	54	74	79	69	60	55	54	53	54	56	60	67	56	47	46	45
Tue	43	56	82	88	76	62	56	53	52	54	58	65	72	62	49	45	45
Wed	43	55	82	87	73	61	56	53	52	55	60	68	75	62	49	45	44
Thu	43	55	78	86	74	63	56	53	53	56	60	70	74	65	49	45	44
Fri	43	51	59	60	58	54	54	53	55	58	63	68	69	62	51	46	44
Sat	44	45	48	47	48	51	55	56	56	57	57	59	59	56	51	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	45	48	49	52	54	54	54	54	54	55	53	51	50	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Berkeley to San Jose (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 88 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Berkeley (Martin Luther King Junior Way) to downtown San Jose (East Santa Clara Street) along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Berkeley to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 88 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Berkeley to San Jose?

The 46-mile drive usually takes 43 to 88 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to San Jose?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 88 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (38 miles) · I-980 West in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

Berkeley to San Jose over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

San Jose to Berkeley (return trip) · Berkeley to San Francisco · Berkeley to Palo Alto · Berkeley to Fremont · Berkeley to Walnut Creek · Berkeley to San Mateo · Berkeley to Mountain View · Berkeley to Pleasanton · Berkeley to Santa Clara · Berkeley to SFO · Berkeley to OAK · Berkeley to SJC

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	54	74	79	69	60	55	54	53	54	56	60	67	56	47	46	45
Tue	43	56	82	88	76	62	56	53	52	54	58	65	72	62	49	45	45
Wed	43	55	82	87	73	61	56	53	52	55	60	68	75	62	49	45	44
Thu	43	55	78	86	74	63	56	53	53	56	60	70	74	65	49	45	44
Fri	43	51	59	60	58	54	54	53	55	58	63	68	69	62	51	46	44
Sat	44	45	48	47	48	51	55	56	56	57	57	59	59	56	51	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	45	48	49	52	54	54	54	54	54	55	53	51	50	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	54	74	79	69	60	55	54	53	54	56	60	67	56	47	46	45
Tue	43	56	82	88	76	62	56	53	52	54	58	65	72	62	49	45	45
Wed	43	55	82	87	73	61	56	53	52	55	60	68	75	62	49	45	44
Thu	43	55	78	86	74	63	56	53	53	56	60	70	74	65	49	45	44
Fri	43	51	59	60	58	54	54	53	55	58	63	68	69	62	51	46	44
Sat	44	45	48	47	48	51	55	56	56	57	57	59	59	56	51	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	45	48	49	52	54	54	54	54	54	55	53	51	50	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	54	74	79	69	60	55	54	53	54	56	60	67	56	47	46	45
Tue	43	56	82	88	76	62	56	53	52	54	58	65	72	62	49	45	45
Wed	43	55	82	87	73	61	56	53	52	55	60	68	75	62	49	45	44
Thu	43	55	78	86	74	63	56	53	53	56	60	70	74	65	49	45	44
Fri	43	51	59	60	58	54	54	53	55	58	63	68	69	62	51	46	44
Sat	44	45	48	47	48	51	55	56	56	57	57	59	59	56	51	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	45	48	49	52	54	54	54	54	54	55	53	51	50	45