Best Time to Drive from Los Gatos to Oakland

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 76 minutes via I-880 North, usually 65 at this time.

Only 78% 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 Los Gatos to Oakland 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	44	47	52	62	57	53	53	52	54	57	66	67	67	62	51	46	45
Tue	44	46	53	69	62	53	51	51	53	57	67	77	80	73	61	49	45
Wed	44	46	52	67	62	54	52	52	54	59	68	78	80	73	61	49	45
Thu	44	46	53	71	63	53	51	52	53	58	71	80	81	75	61	50	45
Fri	44	46	50	56	53	51	52	53	55	63	71	74	71	65	56	48	44
Sat	44	45	45	45	46	48	51	53	53	55	56	57	60	55	52	50	46
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	47	48	50	50	51	53	53	52	53	50	49	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 50-mile drive from Los Gatos to Oakland (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 81 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (60 minutes).

About 48 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.7 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Los Gatos to downtown Oakland 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 Los Gatos to Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Los Gatos to Oakland?

The 50-mile drive usually takes 44 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Gatos to Oakland?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (41 miles) · SR-17 North in Bay Area (7 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Oakland to Los Gatos (return trip) · Los Gatos to San Jose · Los Gatos to San Francisco

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	52	62	57	53	53	52	54	57	66	67	67	62	51	46	45
Tue	44	46	53	69	62	53	51	51	53	57	67	77	80	73	61	49	45
Wed	44	46	52	67	62	54	52	52	54	59	68	78	80	73	61	49	45
Thu	44	46	53	71	63	53	51	52	53	58	71	80	81	75	61	50	45
Fri	44	46	50	56	53	51	52	53	55	63	71	74	71	65	56	48	44
Sat	44	45	45	45	46	48	51	53	53	55	56	57	60	55	52	50	46
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	47	48	50	50	51	53	53	52	53	50	49	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	52	62	57	53	53	52	54	57	66	67	67	62	51	46	45
Tue	44	46	53	69	62	53	51	51	53	57	67	77	80	73	61	49	45
Wed	44	46	52	67	62	54	52	52	54	59	68	78	80	73	61	49	45
Thu	44	46	53	71	63	53	51	52	53	58	71	80	81	75	61	50	45
Fri	44	46	50	56	53	51	52	53	55	63	71	74	71	65	56	48	44
Sat	44	45	45	45	46	48	51	53	53	55	56	57	60	55	52	50	46
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	47	48	50	50	51	53	53	52	53	50	49	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	52	62	57	53	53	52	54	57	66	67	67	62	51	46	45
Tue	44	46	53	69	62	53	51	51	53	57	67	77	80	73	61	49	45
Wed	44	46	52	67	62	54	52	52	54	59	68	78	80	73	61	49	45
Thu	44	46	53	71	63	53	51	52	53	58	71	80	81	75	61	50	45
Fri	44	46	50	56	53	51	52	53	55	63	71	74	71	65	56	48	44
Sat	44	45	45	45	46	48	51	53	53	55	56	57	60	55	52	50	46
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	47	48	50	50	51	53	53	52	53	50	49	45