Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Los Gatos to San Jose
Right now (7:17 pm PDT): about 13 minutes via SR-17 North and I-880 North, usually 13 at this time.
Only 64% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 12 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
| Tue | 12 | 12 | 13 | 19 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
| Wed | 12 | 12 | 13 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
| Thu | 12 | 12 | 13 | 19 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
| Fri | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
| Sat | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
| Sun | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 12-mile drive from Los Gatos to San Jose (via SR-17 North and I-880 North) usually takes as little as 12 minutes and up to 24 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 14 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (18 minutes).
About 9 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (4 to 9 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 Jose 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 Jose?
On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 12 minutes then, versus up to 24 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Los Gatos to San Jose?
The 12-mile drive usually takes 12 to 24 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 14 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Los Gatos to San Jose?
Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 24 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
SR-17 North in Bay Area (7 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (2 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow