Best Time to Drive from Livermore to Salinas

Right now (5:50 pm PST): about 121 minutes via US-101 South and I-680 South, usually 100 at this time.

Only 28% 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 Livermore to Salinas 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	81	91	97	99	104	99	91	91	92	99	109	112	104	91	84	82	82
Tue	81	89	98	106	104	104	97	89	90	97	112	116	107	96	84	82	82
Wed	81	90	101	106	105	104	92	89	90	98	111	115	109	97	85	83	82
Thu	81	88	103	102	104	105	93	90	92	105	116	122	112	97	88	84	82
Fri	81	86	91	89	89	89	90	93	99	112	125	123	110	100	87	82	81
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	89	92	94	96	95	97	94	91	92	89	83	81
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	85	87	88	88	88	87	87	89	89	86	84	82

About this drive

On weekdays the 88-mile drive from Livermore to Salinas (via US-101 South and I-680 South) usually takes as little as 81 minutes and up to 125 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 94 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (97 minutes).

About 76 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 11 miles surface streets (14 to 26 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Livermore to central Salinas 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 Livermore to Salinas?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 81 minutes then, versus up to 125 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Livermore to Salinas?

The 88-mile drive usually takes 81 to 125 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 94 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Livermore to Salinas?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 125 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (36 miles) · I-680 South in Bay Area (23 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Salinas to Livermore (return trip) · Livermore to San Jose · Livermore to San Francisco · Livermore to Sacramento · Livermore to Oakland · Livermore to Stockton · Livermore to Modesto · Livermore to Elk Grove · Livermore to Hayward · Livermore to Sunnyvale · Livermore to Concord · Livermore to Santa Clara

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	91	97	99	104	99	91	91	92	99	109	112	104	91	84	82	82
Tue	81	89	98	106	104	104	97	89	90	97	112	116	107	96	84	82	82
Wed	81	90	101	106	105	104	92	89	90	98	111	115	109	97	85	83	82
Thu	81	88	103	102	104	105	93	90	92	105	116	122	112	97	88	84	82
Fri	81	86	91	89	89	89	90	93	99	112	125	123	110	100	87	82	81
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	89	92	94	96	95	97	94	91	92	89	83	81
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	85	87	88	88	88	87	87	89	89	86	84	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	91	97	99	104	99	91	91	92	99	109	112	104	91	84	82	82
Tue	81	89	98	106	104	104	97	89	90	97	112	116	107	96	84	82	82
Wed	81	90	101	106	105	104	92	89	90	98	111	115	109	97	85	83	82
Thu	81	88	103	102	104	105	93	90	92	105	116	122	112	97	88	84	82
Fri	81	86	91	89	89	89	90	93	99	112	125	123	110	100	87	82	81
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	89	92	94	96	95	97	94	91	92	89	83	81
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	85	87	88	88	88	87	87	89	89	86	84	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	91	97	99	104	99	91	91	92	99	109	112	104	91	84	82	82
Tue	81	89	98	106	104	104	97	89	90	97	112	116	107	96	84	82	82
Wed	81	90	101	106	105	104	92	89	90	98	111	115	109	97	85	83	82
Thu	81	88	103	102	104	105	93	90	92	105	116	122	112	97	88	84	82
Fri	81	86	91	89	89	89	90	93	99	112	125	123	110	100	87	82	81
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	89	92	94	96	95	97	94	91	92	89	83	81
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	85	87	88	88	88	87	87	89	89	86	84	82