Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to Santa Cruz

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 74 minutes via I-880 South and SR-17 South, usually 72 at this time.

Only 76% 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 Cruz 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	71	83	113	118	109	93	90	89	90	90	98	98	101	84	75	73	72
Tue	70	88	122	136	115	99	91	86	84	88	100	107	107	91	78	73	72
Wed	70	85	120	127	113	96	90	88	86	90	97	109	112	92	77	72	71
Thu	70	85	118	131	115	99	94	88	92	95	111	119	114	98	79	73	71
Fri	71	80	94	99	97	86	90	91	96	102	115	111	106	95	85	77	72
Sat	71	71	73	74	76	83	93	96	97	99	103	104	105	99	90	82	74
Sun	72	72	72	72	74	77	90	93	98	97	99	99	98	97	95	85	73

About this drive

On weekdays the 78-mile drive from Berkeley to Santa Cruz (via I-880 South and SR-17 South) usually takes as little as 70 minutes and up to 139 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 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 90 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (105 minutes).

About 73 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 25 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Berkeley to central Santa Cruz 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 Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 70 minutes then, versus up to 139 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 78-mile drive usually takes 70 to 139 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 90 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 139 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (46 miles) · SR-17 South in Bay Area (23 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Cruz 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 Santa Clara · Berkeley to SFO · Berkeley to OAK

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	83	113	118	109	93	90	89	90	90	98	98	101	84	75	73	72
Tue	70	88	122	136	115	99	91	86	84	88	100	107	107	91	78	73	72
Wed	70	85	120	127	113	96	90	88	86	90	97	109	112	92	77	72	71
Thu	70	85	118	131	115	99	94	88	92	95	111	119	114	98	79	73	71
Fri	71	80	94	99	97	86	90	91	96	102	115	111	106	95	85	77	72
Sat	71	71	73	74	76	83	93	96	97	99	103	104	105	99	90	82	74
Sun	72	72	72	72	74	77	90	93	98	97	99	99	98	97	95	85	73

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	83	113	118	109	93	90	89	90	90	98	98	101	84	75	73	72
Tue	70	88	122	136	115	99	91	86	84	88	100	107	107	91	78	73	72
Wed	70	85	120	127	113	96	90	88	86	90	97	109	112	92	77	72	71
Thu	70	85	118	131	115	99	94	88	92	95	111	119	114	98	79	73	71
Fri	71	80	94	99	97	86	90	91	96	102	115	111	106	95	85	77	72
Sat	71	71	73	74	76	83	93	96	97	99	103	104	105	99	90	82	74
Sun	72	72	72	72	74	77	90	93	98	97	99	99	98	97	95	85	73

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	83	113	118	109	93	90	89	90	90	98	98	101	84	75	73	72
Tue	70	88	122	136	115	99	91	86	84	88	100	107	107	91	78	73	72
Wed	70	85	120	127	113	96	90	88	86	90	97	109	112	92	77	72	71
Thu	70	85	118	131	115	99	94	88	92	95	111	119	114	98	79	73	71
Fri	71	80	94	99	97	86	90	91	96	102	115	111	106	95	85	77	72
Sat	71	71	73	74	76	83	93	96	97	99	103	104	105	99	90	82	74
Sun	72	72	72	72	74	77	90	93	98	97	99	99	98	97	95	85	73