Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to Santa Clara

Right now (2:05 pm PST): about 64 minutes via I-880 South, usually 62 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 Santa Clara 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	45	56	78	84	73	62	57	56	54	61	61	64	69	57	49	48	47
Tue	45	58	87	95	82	67	58	55	53	61	62	68	74	66	51	47	47
Wed	45	57	86	92	80	65	58	55	54	62	63	69	77	66	54	47	46
Thu	45	58	83	93	79	67	58	55	55	62	64	71	76	70	54	47	46
Fri	45	53	62	63	59	56	55	55	58	64	67	71	71	63	53	48	46
Sat	46	47	50	49	50	53	56	57	57	58	58	60	61	58	54	50	47
Sun	46	46	46	48	50	51	54	56	56	56	56	55	57	55	53	52	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 45-mile drive from Berkeley to Santa Clara (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 45 minutes and up to 95 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 57 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (13 to 26 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 central Santa Clara (Lincoln 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 Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 45 minutes then, versus up to 95 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Berkeley to Santa Clara?

The 45-mile drive usually takes 45 to 95 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 57 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 95 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (35 miles) · I-980 West in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

Berkeley to Santa Clara over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Santa Clara to Berkeley (return trip) · Berkeley to San Francisco · Berkeley to San Jose · Berkeley to Palo Alto · Berkeley to Fremont · Berkeley to Walnut Creek · Berkeley to San Mateo · Berkeley to Mountain View · Berkeley to Pleasanton · 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	45	56	78	84	73	62	57	56	54	61	61	64	69	57	49	48	47
Tue	45	58	87	95	82	67	58	55	53	61	62	68	74	66	51	47	47
Wed	45	57	86	92	80	65	58	55	54	62	63	69	77	66	54	47	46
Thu	45	58	83	93	79	67	58	55	55	62	64	71	76	70	54	47	46
Fri	45	53	62	63	59	56	55	55	58	64	67	71	71	63	53	48	46
Sat	46	47	50	49	50	53	56	57	57	58	58	60	61	58	54	50	47
Sun	46	46	46	48	50	51	54	56	56	56	56	55	57	55	53	52	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	56	78	84	73	62	57	56	54	61	61	64	69	57	49	48	47
Tue	45	58	87	95	82	67	58	55	53	61	62	68	74	66	51	47	47
Wed	45	57	86	92	80	65	58	55	54	62	63	69	77	66	54	47	46
Thu	45	58	83	93	79	67	58	55	55	62	64	71	76	70	54	47	46
Fri	45	53	62	63	59	56	55	55	58	64	67	71	71	63	53	48	46
Sat	46	47	50	49	50	53	56	57	57	58	58	60	61	58	54	50	47
Sun	46	46	46	48	50	51	54	56	56	56	56	55	57	55	53	52	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	56	78	84	73	62	57	56	54	61	61	64	69	57	49	48	47
Tue	45	58	87	95	82	67	58	55	53	61	62	68	74	66	51	47	47
Wed	45	57	86	92	80	65	58	55	54	62	63	69	77	66	54	47	46
Thu	45	58	83	93	79	67	58	55	55	62	64	71	76	70	54	47	46
Fri	45	53	62	63	59	56	55	55	58	64	67	71	71	63	53	48	46
Sat	46	47	50	49	50	53	56	57	57	58	58	60	61	58	54	50	47
Sun	46	46	46	48	50	51	54	56	56	56	56	55	57	55	53	52	47