Best Time to Drive from Fairfield to Santa Clara

Right now (6:53 pm PDT): about 83 minutes via I-680 South, usually 72 at this time.

Only 79% 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 Fairfield to Santa Clara 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	72	88	101	95	87	80	81	79	80	79	81	82	83	75	72	72	71
Tue	71	88	112	112	100	84	79	77	77	79	82	87	86	78	72	72	71
Wed	71	85	105	105	94	83	79	78	77	79	83	89	89	78	72	71	71
Thu	71	86	105	109	98	84	78	77	77	80	84	89	87	78	72	71	71
Fri	71	77	82	81	78	78	78	77	79	83	87	86	85	79	73	72	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	73	75	77	77	77	80	79	81	85	84	74	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	72	74	75	76	77	79	78	79	80	78	75	74	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 78-mile drive from Fairfield to Santa Clara (via I-680 South) usually takes as little as 71 minutes and up to 116 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 78 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (86 minutes).

About 71 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (8 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fairfield to central Santa Clara 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 Fairfield to Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 71 minutes then, versus up to 116 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Fairfield to Santa Clara?

The 78-mile drive usually takes 71 to 116 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 78 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fairfield to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 116 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (57 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (9 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clara to Fairfield (return trip) · Fairfield to San Jose · Fairfield to San Francisco · Fairfield to Sacramento · Fairfield to Oakland · Fairfield to Fremont · Fairfield to Santa Rosa · Fairfield to Elk Grove · Fairfield to Hayward · Fairfield to Sunnyvale · Fairfield to Roseville · Fairfield to Concord

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	88	101	95	87	80	81	79	80	79	81	82	83	75	72	72	71
Tue	71	88	112	112	100	84	79	77	77	79	82	87	86	78	72	72	71
Wed	71	85	105	105	94	83	79	78	77	79	83	89	89	78	72	71	71
Thu	71	86	105	109	98	84	78	77	77	80	84	89	87	78	72	71	71
Fri	71	77	82	81	78	78	78	77	79	83	87	86	85	79	73	72	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	73	75	77	77	77	80	79	81	85	84	74	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	72	74	75	76	77	79	78	79	80	78	75	74	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	88	101	95	87	80	81	79	80	79	81	82	83	75	72	72	71
Tue	71	88	112	112	100	84	79	77	77	79	82	87	86	78	72	72	71
Wed	71	85	105	105	94	83	79	78	77	79	83	89	89	78	72	71	71
Thu	71	86	105	109	98	84	78	77	77	80	84	89	87	78	72	71	71
Fri	71	77	82	81	78	78	78	77	79	83	87	86	85	79	73	72	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	73	75	77	77	77	80	79	81	85	84	74	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	72	74	75	76	77	79	78	79	80	78	75	74	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	88	101	95	87	80	81	79	80	79	81	82	83	75	72	72	71
Tue	71	88	112	112	100	84	79	77	77	79	82	87	86	78	72	72	71
Wed	71	85	105	105	94	83	79	78	77	79	83	89	89	78	72	71	71
Thu	71	86	105	109	98	84	78	77	77	80	84	89	87	78	72	71	71
Fri	71	77	82	81	78	78	78	77	79	83	87	86	85	79	73	72	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	73	75	77	77	77	80	79	81	85	84	74	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	72	74	75	76	77	79	78	79	80	78	75	74	71