Best Time to Drive from Cupertino to Santa Cruz

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 30 minutes via SR-17 South and SR-85 South.

Only 60% 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 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	30	30	31	35	34	32	32	31	31	31	35	43	45	37	30	30	30
Tue	30	30	31	38	35	31	32	31	31	31	42	53	57	55	37	31	30
Wed	30	30	31	37	35	32	32	31	31	31	41	53	57	53	37	31	30
Thu	30	30	31	35	34	31	31	31	31	31	41	50	53	50	35	31	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	45	39	37	34	30	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	31	31	30	30	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	30	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Cupertino to Santa Cruz (via SR-17 South and SR-85 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 58 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 32 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (33 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Cupertino 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 Cupertino to Santa Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 58 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 29 to 58 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 32 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Cupertino to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 58 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 South in Bay Area (20 miles) · SR-85 South in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Cruz 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 · Cupertino to Berkeley

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	31	35	34	32	32	31	31	31	35	43	45	37	30	30	30
Tue	30	30	31	38	35	31	32	31	31	31	42	53	57	55	37	31	30
Wed	30	30	31	37	35	32	32	31	31	31	41	53	57	53	37	31	30
Thu	30	30	31	35	34	31	31	31	31	31	41	50	53	50	35	31	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	45	39	37	34	30	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	31	31	30	30	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	30	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	31	35	34	32	32	31	31	31	35	43	45	37	30	30	30
Tue	30	30	31	38	35	31	32	31	31	31	42	53	57	55	37	31	30
Wed	30	30	31	37	35	32	32	31	31	31	41	53	57	53	37	31	30
Thu	30	30	31	35	34	31	31	31	31	31	41	50	53	50	35	31	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	45	39	37	34	30	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	31	31	30	30	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	30	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	31	35	34	32	32	31	31	31	35	43	45	37	30	30	30
Tue	30	30	31	38	35	31	32	31	31	31	42	53	57	55	37	31	30
Wed	30	30	31	37	35	32	32	31	31	31	41	53	57	53	37	31	30
Thu	30	30	31	35	34	31	31	31	31	31	41	50	53	50	35	31	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	45	39	37	34	30	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	31	31	30	30	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	30	30