Best Time to Drive from Hayward to Santa Cruz

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 62 minutes via I-880 South and SR-17 South, usually 58 at this time.

Only 70% 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 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	52	57	74	86	77	68	62	61	61	64	64	65	68	62	57	54	53
Tue	52	59	83	97	87	70	65	60	60	63	66	69	75	66	58	55	53
Wed	51	58	84	94	83	69	64	60	59	64	66	70	77	66	59	55	53
Thu	52	58	84	95	83	69	64	61	61	63	65	70	76	66	60	56	53
Fri	52	57	67	70	65	61	62	61	63	66	71	72	72	67	62	57	53
Sat	53	52	53	54	56	58	64	66	63	63	64	63	65	63	59	55	53
Sun	53	53	53	53	54	56	58	60	60	59	58	58	57	58	57	55	53

About this drive

On weekdays the 57-mile drive from Hayward to Santa Cruz (via I-880 South and SR-17 South) usually takes as little as 51 minutes and up to 97 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 62 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (66 minutes).

About 52 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Hayward 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 Hayward to Santa Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 51 minutes then, versus up to 97 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 57-mile drive usually takes 51 to 97 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 62 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Hayward to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 97 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (29 miles) · SR-17 South in Bay Area (23 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Cruz to Hayward (return trip) · Hayward to San Francisco · Hayward to Oakland · Hayward to San Jose · 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	57	74	86	77	68	62	61	61	64	64	65	68	62	57	54	53
Tue	52	59	83	97	87	70	65	60	60	63	66	69	75	66	58	55	53
Wed	51	58	84	94	83	69	64	60	59	64	66	70	77	66	59	55	53
Thu	52	58	84	95	83	69	64	61	61	63	65	70	76	66	60	56	53
Fri	52	57	67	70	65	61	62	61	63	66	71	72	72	67	62	57	53
Sat	53	52	53	54	56	58	64	66	63	63	64	63	65	63	59	55	53
Sun	53	53	53	53	54	56	58	60	60	59	58	58	57	58	57	55	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	57	74	86	77	68	62	61	61	64	64	65	68	62	57	54	53
Tue	52	59	83	97	87	70	65	60	60	63	66	69	75	66	58	55	53
Wed	51	58	84	94	83	69	64	60	59	64	66	70	77	66	59	55	53
Thu	52	58	84	95	83	69	64	61	61	63	65	70	76	66	60	56	53
Fri	52	57	67	70	65	61	62	61	63	66	71	72	72	67	62	57	53
Sat	53	52	53	54	56	58	64	66	63	63	64	63	65	63	59	55	53
Sun	53	53	53	53	54	56	58	60	60	59	58	58	57	58	57	55	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	57	74	86	77	68	62	61	61	64	64	65	68	62	57	54	53
Tue	52	59	83	97	87	70	65	60	60	63	66	69	75	66	58	55	53
Wed	51	58	84	94	83	69	64	60	59	64	66	70	77	66	59	55	53
Thu	52	58	84	95	83	69	64	61	61	63	65	70	76	66	60	56	53
Fri	52	57	67	70	65	61	62	61	63	66	71	72	72	67	62	57	53
Sat	53	52	53	54	56	58	64	66	63	63	64	63	65	63	59	55	53
Sun	53	53	53	53	54	56	58	60	60	59	58	58	57	58	57	55	53