Best Time to Drive from Hayward to San Jose

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 33 minutes via I-880 South, usually 33 at this time.

Only 52% 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 Hayward 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	31	44	58	49	40	34	33	33	35	37	38	41	36	30	28	28
Tue	27	32	53	69	61	43	36	33	33	35	38	41	46	40	32	29	27
Wed	26	31	54	69	58	42	36	33	32	36	38	42	48	40	33	29	27
Thu	27	31	53	69	57	42	36	34	33	35	37	41	48	40	33	29	27
Fri	27	31	39	43	38	34	34	34	35	37	41	43	44	40	35	30	27
Sat	27	27	28	28	28	29	35	37	35	36	37	37	38	36	33	29	28
Sun	27	28	27	27	28	29	30	32	33	32	31	31	31	31	30	29	28

About this drive

On weekdays the 27-mile drive from Hayward to San Jose (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 23 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Hayward (Mission Boulevard) to downtown San Jose (East Santa Clara Street) 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 Hayward to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Hayward to San Jose?

The 27-mile drive usually takes 26 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Hayward to San Jose?

Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (23 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Jose to Hayward (return trip) · Hayward to San Francisco · Hayward to Oakland · Hayward to Palo Alto · Hayward to Berkeley · Hayward to Fremont · Hayward to Mountain View · Hayward to Pleasanton · Hayward to Santa Clara · Hayward to Richmond · Hayward to SFO · Hayward to SJC

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	31	44	58	49	40	34	33	33	35	37	38	41	36	30	28	28
Tue	27	32	53	69	61	43	36	33	33	35	38	41	46	40	32	29	27
Wed	26	31	54	69	58	42	36	33	32	36	38	42	48	40	33	29	27
Thu	27	31	53	69	57	42	36	34	33	35	37	41	48	40	33	29	27
Fri	27	31	39	43	38	34	34	34	35	37	41	43	44	40	35	30	27
Sat	27	27	28	28	28	29	35	37	35	36	37	37	38	36	33	29	28
Sun	27	28	27	27	28	29	30	32	33	32	31	31	31	31	30	29	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	31	44	58	49	40	34	33	33	35	37	38	41	36	30	28	28
Tue	27	32	53	69	61	43	36	33	33	35	38	41	46	40	32	29	27
Wed	26	31	54	69	58	42	36	33	32	36	38	42	48	40	33	29	27
Thu	27	31	53	69	57	42	36	34	33	35	37	41	48	40	33	29	27
Fri	27	31	39	43	38	34	34	34	35	37	41	43	44	40	35	30	27
Sat	27	27	28	28	28	29	35	37	35	36	37	37	38	36	33	29	28
Sun	27	28	27	27	28	29	30	32	33	32	31	31	31	31	30	29	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	31	44	58	49	40	34	33	33	35	37	38	41	36	30	28	28
Tue	27	32	53	69	61	43	36	33	33	35	38	41	46	40	32	29	27
Wed	26	31	54	69	58	42	36	33	32	36	38	42	48	40	33	29	27
Thu	27	31	53	69	57	42	36	34	33	35	37	41	48	40	33	29	27
Fri	27	31	39	43	38	34	34	34	35	37	41	43	44	40	35	30	27
Sat	27	27	28	28	28	29	35	37	35	36	37	37	38	36	33	29	28
Sun	27	28	27	27	28	29	30	32	33	32	31	31	31	31	30	29	28