Best Time to Drive from Cupertino to Oakland

Right now (8:20 pm PST): about 50 minutes via US-101 North, usually 49 at this time.

Only 75% 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 Oakland 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	48	52	58	70	66	57	54	53	52	55	59	63	65	57	52	50	49
Tue	48	52	59	76	72	61	55	53	52	55	59	68	72	65	56	51	50
Wed	48	52	60	75	71	60	55	54	53	56	61	67	74	67	57	52	49
Thu	48	52	61	75	74	61	55	54	53	56	62	69	76	68	58	52	50
Fri	48	50	55	62	58	56	56	54	55	58	61	64	67	63	56	52	49
Sat	49	49	49	49	50	52	55	56	57	56	55	56	55	54	53	53	50
Sun	48	49	49	48	49	50	53	54	54	53	54	53	53	53	53	52	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 52-mile drive from Cupertino to Oakland (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 77 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am 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 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (57 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Cupertino to downtown Oakland 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 Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 77 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 52-mile drive usually takes 48 to 77 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Cupertino to Oakland?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 77 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (37 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	52	58	70	66	57	54	53	52	55	59	63	65	57	52	50	49
Tue	48	52	59	76	72	61	55	53	52	55	59	68	72	65	56	51	50
Wed	48	52	60	75	71	60	55	54	53	56	61	67	74	67	57	52	49
Thu	48	52	61	75	74	61	55	54	53	56	62	69	76	68	58	52	50
Fri	48	50	55	62	58	56	56	54	55	58	61	64	67	63	56	52	49
Sat	49	49	49	49	50	52	55	56	57	56	55	56	55	54	53	53	50
Sun	48	49	49	48	49	50	53	54	54	53	54	53	53	53	53	52	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	52	58	70	66	57	54	53	52	55	59	63	65	57	52	50	49
Tue	48	52	59	76	72	61	55	53	52	55	59	68	72	65	56	51	50
Wed	48	52	60	75	71	60	55	54	53	56	61	67	74	67	57	52	49
Thu	48	52	61	75	74	61	55	54	53	56	62	69	76	68	58	52	50
Fri	48	50	55	62	58	56	56	54	55	58	61	64	67	63	56	52	49
Sat	49	49	49	49	50	52	55	56	57	56	55	56	55	54	53	53	50
Sun	48	49	49	48	49	50	53	54	54	53	54	53	53	53	53	52	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	52	58	70	66	57	54	53	52	55	59	63	65	57	52	50	49
Tue	48	52	59	76	72	61	55	53	52	55	59	68	72	65	56	51	50
Wed	48	52	60	75	71	60	55	54	53	56	61	67	74	67	57	52	49
Thu	48	52	61	75	74	61	55	54	53	56	62	69	76	68	58	52	50
Fri	48	50	55	62	58	56	56	54	55	58	61	64	67	63	56	52	49
Sat	49	49	49	49	50	52	55	56	57	56	55	56	55	54	53	53	50
Sun	48	49	49	48	49	50	53	54	54	53	54	53	53	53	53	52	49