Best Time to Drive from Foster City to San Jose

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 32 minutes via US-101 South, usually 31 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Foster City to San Jose 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	27	27	29	37	38	32	30	29	30	31	37	40	44	34	29	28	27
Tue	26	27	29	40	46	37	32	30	30	32	43	53	57	45	32	28	27
Wed	27	27	29	40	43	35	31	30	30	32	44	53	59	46	33	29	27
Thu	27	27	29	40	42	34	30	29	30	33	44	52	62	48	34	29	27
Fri	27	27	28	31	31	29	29	30	30	33	41	44	43	35	31	28	27
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	28	27
Sun	27	27	26	26	27	28	28	29	29	29	29	29	30	29	28	28	27

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Foster City to San Jose (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 62 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 30 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (31 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Foster City to downtown San Jose 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 Foster City to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 62 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Foster City to San Jose?

The 29-mile drive usually takes 26 to 62 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 30 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Foster City to San Jose?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 62 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (24 miles) · SR-87 South in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Jose to Foster City (return trip)

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	29	37	38	32	30	29	30	31	37	40	44	34	29	28	27
Tue	26	27	29	40	46	37	32	30	30	32	43	53	57	45	32	28	27
Wed	27	27	29	40	43	35	31	30	30	32	44	53	59	46	33	29	27
Thu	27	27	29	40	42	34	30	29	30	33	44	52	62	48	34	29	27
Fri	27	27	28	31	31	29	29	30	30	33	41	44	43	35	31	28	27
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	28	27
Sun	27	27	26	26	27	28	28	29	29	29	29	29	30	29	28	28	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	29	37	38	32	30	29	30	31	37	40	44	34	29	28	27
Tue	26	27	29	40	46	37	32	30	30	32	43	53	57	45	32	28	27
Wed	27	27	29	40	43	35	31	30	30	32	44	53	59	46	33	29	27
Thu	27	27	29	40	42	34	30	29	30	33	44	52	62	48	34	29	27
Fri	27	27	28	31	31	29	29	30	30	33	41	44	43	35	31	28	27
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	28	27
Sun	27	27	26	26	27	28	28	29	29	29	29	29	30	29	28	28	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	29	37	38	32	30	29	30	31	37	40	44	34	29	28	27
Tue	26	27	29	40	46	37	32	30	30	32	43	53	57	45	32	28	27
Wed	27	27	29	40	43	35	31	30	30	32	44	53	59	46	33	29	27
Thu	27	27	29	40	42	34	30	29	30	33	44	52	62	48	34	29	27
Fri	27	27	28	31	31	29	29	30	30	33	41	44	43	35	31	28	27
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	28	27
Sun	27	27	26	26	27	28	28	29	29	29	29	29	30	29	28	28	27