Best Time to Drive from Milpitas to Santa Cruz

Right now (6:50 pm PDT): about 41 minutes via SR-17 South and I-880 South, usually 39 at this time.

Only 60% 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 Milpitas to Santa Cruz 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	35	36	38	41	40	40	39	39	39	39	39	40	41	41	37	36	36
Tue	35	36	37	42	41	40	39	39	38	38	43	46	53	49	39	36	36
Wed	35	36	37	42	41	40	39	39	38	38	43	44	52	50	39	36	35
Thu	35	36	38	42	41	39	40	38	38	38	47	49	55	49	40	36	35
Fri	35	36	37	40	38	38	39	39	38	39	47	44	44	43	39	37	36
Sat	35	35	35	36	37	38	40	40	40	39	40	38	37	37	37	36	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	37	39	39	39	39	38	37	38	38	37	37	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Milpitas to Santa Cruz (via SR-17 South and I-880 South) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 56 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Milpitas to central Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 56 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Milpitas to Santa Cruz?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 35 to 56 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Milpitas to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 56 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 South in Bay Area (23 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (10 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Cruz to Milpitas (return trip) · Milpitas to San Jose · Milpitas to San Francisco · Milpitas to Oakland · Milpitas to Stockton · Milpitas to Fremont · Milpitas to Modesto · Milpitas to Hayward · Milpitas to Salinas · Milpitas to Sunnyvale · Milpitas to Concord · Milpitas 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	35	36	38	41	40	40	39	39	39	39	39	40	41	41	37	36	36
Tue	35	36	37	42	41	40	39	39	38	38	43	46	53	49	39	36	36
Wed	35	36	37	42	41	40	39	39	38	38	43	44	52	50	39	36	35
Thu	35	36	38	42	41	39	40	38	38	38	47	49	55	49	40	36	35
Fri	35	36	37	40	38	38	39	39	38	39	47	44	44	43	39	37	36
Sat	35	35	35	36	37	38	40	40	40	39	40	38	37	37	37	36	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	37	39	39	39	39	38	37	38	38	37	37	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	38	41	40	40	39	39	39	39	39	40	41	41	37	36	36
Tue	35	36	37	42	41	40	39	39	38	38	43	46	53	49	39	36	36
Wed	35	36	37	42	41	40	39	39	38	38	43	44	52	50	39	36	35
Thu	35	36	38	42	41	39	40	38	38	38	47	49	55	49	40	36	35
Fri	35	36	37	40	38	38	39	39	38	39	47	44	44	43	39	37	36
Sat	35	35	35	36	37	38	40	40	40	39	40	38	37	37	37	36	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	37	39	39	39	39	38	37	38	38	37	37	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	38	41	40	40	39	39	39	39	39	40	41	41	37	36	36
Tue	35	36	37	42	41	40	39	39	38	38	43	46	53	49	39	36	36
Wed	35	36	37	42	41	40	39	39	38	38	43	44	52	50	39	36	35
Thu	35	36	38	42	41	39	40	38	38	38	47	49	55	49	40	36	35
Fri	35	36	37	40	38	38	39	39	38	39	47	44	44	43	39	37	36
Sat	35	35	35	36	37	38	40	40	40	39	40	38	37	37	37	36	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	37	39	39	39	39	38	37	38	38	37	37	36