Best Time to Drive from Cupertino to Oakland

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 61 minutes via US-101 North, usually 53 at this time.

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	55	54	53	55	58	62	65	56	52	50	50
Tue	48	52	59	75	73	61	55	54	52	55	59	68	73	64	55	51	49
Wed	48	52	59	75	75	60	55	54	53	56	61	66	74	66	56	52	49
Thu	48	51	60	75	77	61	55	55	53	57	62	70	76	68	57	51	52
Fri	48	51	54	63	58	56	56	55	55	57	61	64	65	61	54	51	48
Sat	49	49	49	49	50	55	59	59	56	58	55	56	56	54	53	54	50
Sun	48	49	48	48	49	51	53	55	54	53	53	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 78 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 11 am on Saturdays (59 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 14 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 78 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 52-mile drive usually takes 48 to 78 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 78 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

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	55	54	53	55	58	62	65	56	52	50	50
Tue	48	52	59	75	73	61	55	54	52	55	59	68	73	64	55	51	49
Wed	48	52	59	75	75	60	55	54	53	56	61	66	74	66	56	52	49
Thu	48	51	60	75	77	61	55	55	53	57	62	70	76	68	57	51	52
Fri	48	51	54	63	58	56	56	55	55	57	61	64	65	61	54	51	48
Sat	49	49	49	49	50	55	59	59	56	58	55	56	56	54	53	54	50
Sun	48	49	48	48	49	51	53	55	54	53	53	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	55	54	53	55	58	62	65	56	52	50	50
Tue	48	52	59	75	73	61	55	54	52	55	59	68	73	64	55	51	49
Wed	48	52	59	75	75	60	55	54	53	56	61	66	74	66	56	52	49
Thu	48	51	60	75	77	61	55	55	53	57	62	70	76	68	57	51	52
Fri	48	51	54	63	58	56	56	55	55	57	61	64	65	61	54	51	48
Sat	49	49	49	49	50	55	59	59	56	58	55	56	56	54	53	54	50
Sun	48	49	48	48	49	51	53	55	54	53	53	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	55	54	53	55	58	62	65	56	52	50	50
Tue	48	52	59	75	73	61	55	54	52	55	59	68	73	64	55	51	49
Wed	48	52	59	75	75	60	55	54	53	56	61	66	74	66	56	52	49
Thu	48	51	60	75	77	61	55	55	53	57	62	70	76	68	57	51	52
Fri	48	51	54	63	58	56	56	55	55	57	61	64	65	61	54	51	48
Sat	49	49	49	49	50	55	59	59	56	58	55	56	56	54	53	54	50
Sun	48	49	48	48	49	51	53	55	54	53	53	53	53	53	53	52	49