Best Time to Drive from Cupertino to Berkeley

Right now (6:49 pm PDT): about 89 minutes via US-101 North, usually 60 at this time.

Only 77% 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 Cupertino to Berkeley 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	49	55	62	75	68	60	58	57	56	63	68	73	75	60	54	52	51
Tue	50	54	66	82	77	64	58	56	56	63	70	82	82	68	59	53	51
Wed	49	54	64	82	75	62	59	57	56	63	72	83	86	69	58	53	51
Thu	50	54	65	82	79	66	59	58	57	65	75	85	90	72	60	54	52
Fri	49	53	58	68	61	60	60	61	64	74	81	90	82	69	58	53	51
Sat	50	50	50	51	52	57	61	65	63	67	67	65	65	60	58	56	52
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	54	57	61	63	61	62	60	60	59	58	54	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Cupertino to Berkeley (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 91 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 59 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (69 minutes).

About 50 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Cupertino to central Berkeley 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 Cupertino to Berkeley?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 91 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Cupertino to Berkeley?

The 55-mile drive usually takes 49 to 91 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 59 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Cupertino to Berkeley?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 91 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (37 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (7 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (6 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Berkeley to Cupertino (return trip) · Cupertino to San Jose · Cupertino to San Francisco · Cupertino to Oakland · Cupertino to Stockton · Cupertino to Fremont · Cupertino to Modesto · Cupertino to Hayward · Cupertino to Salinas · Cupertino to Concord · Cupertino to Vallejo

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	55	62	75	68	60	58	57	56	63	68	73	75	60	54	52	51
Tue	50	54	66	82	77	64	58	56	56	63	70	82	82	68	59	53	51
Wed	49	54	64	82	75	62	59	57	56	63	72	83	86	69	58	53	51
Thu	50	54	65	82	79	66	59	58	57	65	75	85	90	72	60	54	52
Fri	49	53	58	68	61	60	60	61	64	74	81	90	82	69	58	53	51
Sat	50	50	50	51	52	57	61	65	63	67	67	65	65	60	58	56	52
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	54	57	61	63	61	62	60	60	59	58	54	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	55	62	75	68	60	58	57	56	63	68	73	75	60	54	52	51
Tue	50	54	66	82	77	64	58	56	56	63	70	82	82	68	59	53	51
Wed	49	54	64	82	75	62	59	57	56	63	72	83	86	69	58	53	51
Thu	50	54	65	82	79	66	59	58	57	65	75	85	90	72	60	54	52
Fri	49	53	58	68	61	60	60	61	64	74	81	90	82	69	58	53	51
Sat	50	50	50	51	52	57	61	65	63	67	67	65	65	60	58	56	52
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	54	57	61	63	61	62	60	60	59	58	54	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	55	62	75	68	60	58	57	56	63	68	73	75	60	54	52	51
Tue	50	54	66	82	77	64	58	56	56	63	70	82	82	68	59	53	51
Wed	49	54	64	82	75	62	59	57	56	63	72	83	86	69	58	53	51
Thu	50	54	65	82	79	66	59	58	57	65	75	85	90	72	60	54	52
Fri	49	53	58	68	61	60	60	61	64	74	81	90	82	69	58	53	51
Sat	50	50	50	51	52	57	61	65	63	67	67	65	65	60	58	56	52
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	54	57	61	63	61	62	60	60	59	58	54	50