Best Time to Drive from Milpitas to San Francisco

Right now (7:32 pm PDT): about 43 minutes via US-101 North, usually 43 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Milpitas 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	40	43	50	59	52	48	46	45	44	45	47	50	53	48	44	42	42
Tue	40	42	51	63	58	49	47	45	44	45	48	56	61	55	46	42	41
Wed	40	43	51	66	60	48	47	46	44	46	49	53	61	56	48	43	41
Thu	40	42	54	64	60	50	47	46	44	46	50	56	64	57	48	42	44
Fri	40	42	46	54	48	48	48	46	45	47	49	51	53	50	46	42	40
Sat	41	41	41	41	42	46	51	48	46	47	44	45	45	45	45	44	42
Sun	40	41	40	40	41	42	45	46	44	43	43	43	44	44	43	43	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Milpitas to San Francisco (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 45 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 miles surface streets (1 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Milpitas 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 Milpitas to San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Milpitas to San Francisco?

The 46-mile drive usually takes 40 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Milpitas to San Francisco?

Leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (37 miles) · SR-237 West in Bay Area (8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Milpitas (return trip) · Milpitas 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	40	43	50	59	52	48	46	45	44	45	47	50	53	48	44	42	42
Tue	40	42	51	63	58	49	47	45	44	45	48	56	61	55	46	42	41
Wed	40	43	51	66	60	48	47	46	44	46	49	53	61	56	48	43	41
Thu	40	42	54	64	60	50	47	46	44	46	50	56	64	57	48	42	44
Fri	40	42	46	54	48	48	48	46	45	47	49	51	53	50	46	42	40
Sat	41	41	41	41	42	46	51	48	46	47	44	45	45	45	45	44	42
Sun	40	41	40	40	41	42	45	46	44	43	43	43	44	44	43	43	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	43	50	59	52	48	46	45	44	45	47	50	53	48	44	42	42
Tue	40	42	51	63	58	49	47	45	44	45	48	56	61	55	46	42	41
Wed	40	43	51	66	60	48	47	46	44	46	49	53	61	56	48	43	41
Thu	40	42	54	64	60	50	47	46	44	46	50	56	64	57	48	42	44
Fri	40	42	46	54	48	48	48	46	45	47	49	51	53	50	46	42	40
Sat	41	41	41	41	42	46	51	48	46	47	44	45	45	45	45	44	42
Sun	40	41	40	40	41	42	45	46	44	43	43	43	44	44	43	43	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	43	50	59	52	48	46	45	44	45	47	50	53	48	44	42	42
Tue	40	42	51	63	58	49	47	45	44	45	48	56	61	55	46	42	41
Wed	40	43	51	66	60	48	47	46	44	46	49	53	61	56	48	43	41
Thu	40	42	54	64	60	50	47	46	44	46	50	56	64	57	48	42	44
Fri	40	42	46	54	48	48	48	46	45	47	49	51	53	50	46	42	40
Sat	41	41	41	41	42	46	51	48	46	47	44	45	45	45	45	44	42
Sun	40	41	40	40	41	42	45	46	44	43	43	43	44	44	43	43	40