Best Time to Drive from Los Gatos to San Francisco

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 58 minutes via US-101 North and SR-85 North, usually 50 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Los Gatos to San Francisco 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	46	49	61	76	64	55	53	52	50	52	54	57	60	53	50	48	48
Tue	46	49	63	83	75	62	54	51	50	52	54	61	65	60	52	48	48
Wed	46	49	64	83	76	59	54	52	50	52	55	60	66	58	53	49	48
Thu	46	49	64	83	74	61	55	53	51	53	55	62	68	61	53	49	49
Fri	46	49	56	61	55	54	56	52	51	53	55	57	60	55	51	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	55	58	54	53	54	53	53	56	54	52	52	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	51	54	52	51	53	53	52	51	51	51	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Los Gatos to San Francisco (via US-101 North and SR-85 North) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 84 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 52 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 52 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 miles surface streets (1 to 2 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 84 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Los Gatos to San Francisco?

The 53-mile drive usually takes 46 to 84 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 52 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Gatos to San Francisco?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (36 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (14 miles) · SR-17 North in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	49	61	76	64	55	53	52	50	52	54	57	60	53	50	48	48
Tue	46	49	63	83	75	62	54	51	50	52	54	61	65	60	52	48	48
Wed	46	49	64	83	76	59	54	52	50	52	55	60	66	58	53	49	48
Thu	46	49	64	83	74	61	55	53	51	53	55	62	68	61	53	49	49
Fri	46	49	56	61	55	54	56	52	51	53	55	57	60	55	51	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	55	58	54	53	54	53	53	56	54	52	52	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	51	54	52	51	53	53	52	51	51	51	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	49	61	76	64	55	53	52	50	52	54	57	60	53	50	48	48
Tue	46	49	63	83	75	62	54	51	50	52	54	61	65	60	52	48	48
Wed	46	49	64	83	76	59	54	52	50	52	55	60	66	58	53	49	48
Thu	46	49	64	83	74	61	55	53	51	53	55	62	68	61	53	49	49
Fri	46	49	56	61	55	54	56	52	51	53	55	57	60	55	51	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	55	58	54	53	54	53	53	56	54	52	52	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	51	54	52	51	53	53	52	51	51	51	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	49	61	76	64	55	53	52	50	52	54	57	60	53	50	48	48
Tue	46	49	63	83	75	62	54	51	50	52	54	61	65	60	52	48	48
Wed	46	49	64	83	76	59	54	52	50	52	55	60	66	58	53	49	48
Thu	46	49	64	83	74	61	55	53	51	53	55	62	68	61	53	49	49
Fri	46	49	56	61	55	54	56	52	51	53	55	57	60	55	51	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	55	58	54	53	54	53	53	56	54	52	52	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	51	54	52	51	53	53	52	51	51	51	47