Best Time to Drive from Daly City to Watsonville

Right now (7:20 pm PDT): about 81 minutes via I-280 South and SR-17 South, usually 83 at this time.

Only 53% 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 Daly City to Watsonville 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	79	80	83	88	92	86	87	87	93	106	119	116	99	84	82	81	80
Tue	79	80	84	93	95	88	87	91	95	105	126	130	113	96	83	81	80
Wed	79	80	82	90	95	85	90	98	105	120	132	147	117	95	86	81	79
Thu	79	80	83	91	93	86	86	89	95	109	128	133	110	93	87	81	80
Fri	79	80	83	84	85	86	88	96	102	111	123	120	99	89	85	82	79
Sat	79	79	80	81	82	85	88	93	92	90	89	88	84	83	82	81	79
Sun	80	79	80	80	81	83	85	86	85	85	83	83	83	83	82	81	79

About this drive

On weekdays the 86-mile drive from Daly City to Watsonville (via I-280 South and SR-17 South) usually takes as little as 79 minutes and up to 147 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 96 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (93 minutes).

About 81 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Daly City to central Watsonville 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 Daly City to Watsonville?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 79 minutes then, versus up to 147 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Daly City to Watsonville?

The 86-mile drive usually takes 79 to 147 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 96 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Daly City to Watsonville?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 147 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-280 South in Bay Area (38 miles) · SR-17 South in Bay Area (19 miles) · SR-1 South in Bay Area (16 miles) · SR-85 South in Bay Area (8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Watsonville to Daly City (return trip) · Daly City to San Jose · Daly City to San Francisco · Daly City to Oakland · Daly City to Stockton · Daly City to Fremont · Daly City to Santa Rosa · Daly City to Hayward · Daly City to Sunnyvale · Daly City to Concord · Daly City to Santa Clara · Daly City 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	79	80	83	88	92	86	87	87	93	106	119	116	99	84	82	81	80
Tue	79	80	84	93	95	88	87	91	95	105	126	130	113	96	83	81	80
Wed	79	80	82	90	95	85	90	98	105	120	132	147	117	95	86	81	79
Thu	79	80	83	91	93	86	86	89	95	109	128	133	110	93	87	81	80
Fri	79	80	83	84	85	86	88	96	102	111	123	120	99	89	85	82	79
Sat	79	79	80	81	82	85	88	93	92	90	89	88	84	83	82	81	79
Sun	80	79	80	80	81	83	85	86	85	85	83	83	83	83	82	81	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	80	83	88	92	86	87	87	93	106	119	116	99	84	82	81	80
Tue	79	80	84	93	95	88	87	91	95	105	126	130	113	96	83	81	80
Wed	79	80	82	90	95	85	90	98	105	120	132	147	117	95	86	81	79
Thu	79	80	83	91	93	86	86	89	95	109	128	133	110	93	87	81	80
Fri	79	80	83	84	85	86	88	96	102	111	123	120	99	89	85	82	79
Sat	79	79	80	81	82	85	88	93	92	90	89	88	84	83	82	81	79
Sun	80	79	80	80	81	83	85	86	85	85	83	83	83	83	82	81	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	80	83	88	92	86	87	87	93	106	119	116	99	84	82	81	80
Tue	79	80	84	93	95	88	87	91	95	105	126	130	113	96	83	81	80
Wed	79	80	82	90	95	85	90	98	105	120	132	147	117	95	86	81	79
Thu	79	80	83	91	93	86	86	89	95	109	128	133	110	93	87	81	80
Fri	79	80	83	84	85	86	88	96	102	111	123	120	99	89	85	82	79
Sat	79	79	80	81	82	85	88	93	92	90	89	88	84	83	82	81	79
Sun	80	79	80	80	81	83	85	86	85	85	83	83	83	83	82	81	79