Best Time to Drive from Modesto to Santa Clara

Right now (6:06 pm PST): about 123 minutes via I-580 East and I-680 South and I-880 South, usually 116 at this time.

Only 30% 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 Modesto to Santa Clara 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	107	100	169	164	141	105	104	103	102	111	115	127	123	121	106	95	94
Tue	106	100	173	169	146	113	103	101	101	112	126	127	122	116	114	97	93
Wed	106	101	173	168	163	111	102	100	101	108	127	131	121	123	120	108	96
Thu	110	102	174	169	162	105	101	100	104	114	131	132	129	123	116	105	101
Fri	109	98	161	137	109	109	101	101	113	133	142	132	112	105	97	96	94
Sat	93	93	93	94	94	95	96	96	97	98	101	106	103	106	98	96	93
Sun	93	93	93	93	94	95	95	96	96	96	95	96	121	143	104	95	93

About this drive

On weekdays the 81-mile drive from Modesto to Santa Clara (via I-580 East and I-680 South and I-880 South) usually takes as little as 93 minutes and up to 174 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 105 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Sundays (143 minutes).

About 39 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 42 miles surface streets (45 to 112 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Modesto to central Santa Clara 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 Modesto to Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 93 minutes then, versus up to 174 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Modesto to Santa Clara?

The 81-mile drive usually takes 93 to 174 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 105 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Modesto to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 174 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 East in Bay Area (19 miles) · I-680 South in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clara to Modesto (return trip) · Modesto to San Jose · Modesto to Hayward · Modesto to Sunnyvale · Modesto to Concord · Modesto to San Leandro · Modesto to Redwood City · Modesto to Pleasanton · Modesto to Alameda · Modesto to Milpitas · Modesto to San Ramon · Modesto to Walnut Creek

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	107	100	169	164	141	105	104	103	102	111	115	127	123	121	106	95	94
Tue	106	100	173	169	146	113	103	101	101	112	126	127	122	116	114	97	93
Wed	106	101	173	168	163	111	102	100	101	108	127	131	121	123	120	108	96
Thu	110	102	174	169	162	105	101	100	104	114	131	132	129	123	116	105	101
Fri	109	98	161	137	109	109	101	101	113	133	142	132	112	105	97	96	94
Sat	93	93	93	94	94	95	96	96	97	98	101	106	103	106	98	96	93
Sun	93	93	93	93	94	95	95	96	96	96	95	96	121	143	104	95	93

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	107	100	169	164	141	105	104	103	102	111	115	127	123	121	106	95	94
Tue	106	100	173	169	146	113	103	101	101	112	126	127	122	116	114	97	93
Wed	106	101	173	168	163	111	102	100	101	108	127	131	121	123	120	108	96
Thu	110	102	174	169	162	105	101	100	104	114	131	132	129	123	116	105	101
Fri	109	98	161	137	109	109	101	101	113	133	142	132	112	105	97	96	94
Sat	93	93	93	94	94	95	96	96	97	98	101	106	103	106	98	96	93
Sun	93	93	93	93	94	95	95	96	96	96	95	96	121	143	104	95	93

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	107	100	169	164	141	105	104	103	102	111	115	127	123	121	106	95	94
Tue	106	100	173	169	146	113	103	101	101	112	126	127	122	116	114	97	93
Wed	106	101	173	168	163	111	102	100	101	108	127	131	121	123	120	108	96
Thu	110	102	174	169	162	105	101	100	104	114	131	132	129	123	116	105	101
Fri	109	98	161	137	109	109	101	101	113	133	142	132	112	105	97	96	94
Sat	93	93	93	94	94	95	96	96	97	98	101	106	103	106	98	96	93
Sun	93	93	93	93	94	95	95	96	96	96	95	96	121	143	104	95	93