Best Time to Drive from Morgan Hill to Salinas

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 47 minutes via US-101 South, usually 42 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Morgan Hill to Salinas 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	36	41	45	43	40	40	40	40	40	41	48	50	48	41	38	36	36
Tue	36	40	45	43	40	40	40	40	40	40	45	50	48	40	38	37	36
Wed	36	40	45	42	38	39	40	40	41	41	45	50	48	40	38	37	36
Thu	36	40	44	41	38	38	39	39	40	42	47	52	52	43	39	37	36
Fri	36	38	44	40	38	39	40	41	42	46	52	55	54	47	40	38	36
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	39	42	44	46	48	45	44	42	40	39	37	36
Sun	36	36	36	36	36	37	39	40	41	43	43	42	42	44	42	40	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Morgan Hill to Salinas (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 55 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (48 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Morgan Hill to central Salinas 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 Morgan Hill to Salinas?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 55 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Morgan Hill to Salinas?

The 39-mile drive usually takes 36 to 55 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Morgan Hill to Salinas?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 55 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (17 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Salinas to Morgan Hill (return trip) · Morgan Hill to San Jose · Morgan Hill to San Francisco · Morgan Hill to Oakland · Morgan Hill to Stockton · Morgan Hill to Fremont · Morgan Hill to Hayward · Morgan Hill to Sunnyvale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	41	45	43	40	40	40	40	40	41	48	50	48	41	38	36	36
Tue	36	40	45	43	40	40	40	40	40	40	45	50	48	40	38	37	36
Wed	36	40	45	42	38	39	40	40	41	41	45	50	48	40	38	37	36
Thu	36	40	44	41	38	38	39	39	40	42	47	52	52	43	39	37	36
Fri	36	38	44	40	38	39	40	41	42	46	52	55	54	47	40	38	36
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	39	42	44	46	48	45	44	42	40	39	37	36
Sun	36	36	36	36	36	37	39	40	41	43	43	42	42	44	42	40	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	41	45	43	40	40	40	40	40	41	48	50	48	41	38	36	36
Tue	36	40	45	43	40	40	40	40	40	40	45	50	48	40	38	37	36
Wed	36	40	45	42	38	39	40	40	41	41	45	50	48	40	38	37	36
Thu	36	40	44	41	38	38	39	39	40	42	47	52	52	43	39	37	36
Fri	36	38	44	40	38	39	40	41	42	46	52	55	54	47	40	38	36
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	39	42	44	46	48	45	44	42	40	39	37	36
Sun	36	36	36	36	36	37	39	40	41	43	43	42	42	44	42	40	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	41	45	43	40	40	40	40	40	41	48	50	48	41	38	36	36
Tue	36	40	45	43	40	40	40	40	40	40	45	50	48	40	38	37	36
Wed	36	40	45	42	38	39	40	40	41	41	45	50	48	40	38	37	36
Thu	36	40	44	41	38	38	39	39	40	42	47	52	52	43	39	37	36
Fri	36	38	44	40	38	39	40	41	42	46	52	55	54	47	40	38	36
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	39	42	44	46	48	45	44	42	40	39	37	36
Sun	36	36	36	36	36	37	39	40	41	43	43	42	42	44	42	40	36