Best Time to Drive from Cupertino to San Francisco

Right now (10:56 pm PDT): about 39 minutes via US-101 North.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Cupertino to San Francisco 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	38	40	46	58	54	46	44	43	42	42	45	48	51	47	42	40	39
Tue	38	40	47	65	60	50	45	43	42	42	46	53	57	53	45	41	40
Wed	38	40	47	63	59	48	44	43	42	43	46	51	58	55	46	41	39
Thu	38	40	48	63	61	50	45	44	42	44	47	52	60	55	47	41	41
Fri	38	40	44	52	47	45	45	43	42	44	47	49	52	50	44	41	40
Sat	39	39	39	40	40	42	44	45	45	44	43	43	43	43	42	42	40
Sun	39	39	39	39	39	41	42	43	43	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Cupertino to San Francisco (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 38 minutes and up to 65 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 42 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.7 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Cupertino to downtown San Francisco 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 San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 38 minutes then, versus up to 65 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Cupertino to San Francisco?

The 44-mile drive usually takes 38 to 65 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Cupertino to San Francisco?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 65 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (36 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (6 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Cupertino (return trip) · Cupertino to San Jose · Cupertino to Oakland · 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	38	40	46	58	54	46	44	43	42	42	45	48	51	47	42	40	39
Tue	38	40	47	65	60	50	45	43	42	42	46	53	57	53	45	41	40
Wed	38	40	47	63	59	48	44	43	42	43	46	51	58	55	46	41	39
Thu	38	40	48	63	61	50	45	44	42	44	47	52	60	55	47	41	41
Fri	38	40	44	52	47	45	45	43	42	44	47	49	52	50	44	41	40
Sat	39	39	39	40	40	42	44	45	45	44	43	43	43	43	42	42	40
Sun	39	39	39	39	39	41	42	43	43	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	40	46	58	54	46	44	43	42	42	45	48	51	47	42	40	39
Tue	38	40	47	65	60	50	45	43	42	42	46	53	57	53	45	41	40
Wed	38	40	47	63	59	48	44	43	42	43	46	51	58	55	46	41	39
Thu	38	40	48	63	61	50	45	44	42	44	47	52	60	55	47	41	41
Fri	38	40	44	52	47	45	45	43	42	44	47	49	52	50	44	41	40
Sat	39	39	39	40	40	42	44	45	45	44	43	43	43	43	42	42	40
Sun	39	39	39	39	39	41	42	43	43	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	40	46	58	54	46	44	43	42	42	45	48	51	47	42	40	39
Tue	38	40	47	65	60	50	45	43	42	42	46	53	57	53	45	41	40
Wed	38	40	47	63	59	48	44	43	42	43	46	51	58	55	46	41	39
Thu	38	40	48	63	61	50	45	44	42	44	47	52	60	55	47	41	41
Fri	38	40	44	52	47	45	45	43	42	44	47	49	52	50	44	41	40
Sat	39	39	39	40	40	42	44	45	45	44	43	43	43	43	42	42	40
Sun	39	39	39	39	39	41	42	43	43	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	39