Best Time to Drive from Napa to San Jose

Right now (12:19 am PDT): about 83 minutes via I-680 South.

Only 77% 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 Napa to San Jose 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	81	104	116	110	99	92	92	91	90	94	95	95	93	82	81	81	81
Tue	81	105	132	122	106	94	90	89	89	93	99	102	97	84	81	81	80
Wed	81	107	126	114	103	93	90	90	89	93	98	103	99	84	81	81	80
Thu	81	106	124	119	105	94	90	90	89	95	99	103	99	85	81	81	81
Fri	81	89	94	97	90	90	89	89	89	98	102	99	98	86	82	81	80
Sat	81	81	81	81	82	85	87	89	88	89	89	89	88	86	83	82	80
Sun	81	80	80	80	81	83	86	87	88	88	88	88	88	86	85	83	80

About this drive

On weekdays the 87-mile drive from Napa to San Jose (via I-680 South) usually takes as little as 80 minutes and up to 132 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 91 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (90 minutes).

About 78 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (11 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Napa 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 Napa to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 80 minutes then, versus up to 132 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Napa to San Jose?

The 87-mile drive usually takes 80 to 132 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 91 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Napa to San Jose?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 132 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (70 miles) · SR-12 East in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-280 North in Bay Area (1.5 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (1.3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Jose to Napa (return trip) · Napa to San Francisco · Napa to Sacramento · Napa to Oakland · Napa to Stockton · Napa to Fremont · Napa to Santa Rosa · Napa to Elk Grove · Napa to Hayward · Napa to Sunnyvale · Napa to Roseville · Napa to Concord

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	104	116	110	99	92	92	91	90	94	95	95	93	82	81	81	81
Tue	81	105	132	122	106	94	90	89	89	93	99	102	97	84	81	81	80
Wed	81	107	126	114	103	93	90	90	89	93	98	103	99	84	81	81	80
Thu	81	106	124	119	105	94	90	90	89	95	99	103	99	85	81	81	81
Fri	81	89	94	97	90	90	89	89	89	98	102	99	98	86	82	81	80
Sat	81	81	81	81	82	85	87	89	88	89	89	89	88	86	83	82	80
Sun	81	80	80	80	81	83	86	87	88	88	88	88	88	86	85	83	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	104	116	110	99	92	92	91	90	94	95	95	93	82	81	81	81
Tue	81	105	132	122	106	94	90	89	89	93	99	102	97	84	81	81	80
Wed	81	107	126	114	103	93	90	90	89	93	98	103	99	84	81	81	80
Thu	81	106	124	119	105	94	90	90	89	95	99	103	99	85	81	81	81
Fri	81	89	94	97	90	90	89	89	89	98	102	99	98	86	82	81	80
Sat	81	81	81	81	82	85	87	89	88	89	89	89	88	86	83	82	80
Sun	81	80	80	80	81	83	86	87	88	88	88	88	88	86	85	83	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	104	116	110	99	92	92	91	90	94	95	95	93	82	81	81	81
Tue	81	105	132	122	106	94	90	89	89	93	99	102	97	84	81	81	80
Wed	81	107	126	114	103	93	90	90	89	93	98	103	99	84	81	81	80
Thu	81	106	124	119	105	94	90	90	89	95	99	103	99	85	81	81	81
Fri	81	89	94	97	90	90	89	89	89	98	102	99	98	86	82	81	80
Sat	81	81	81	81	82	85	87	89	88	89	89	89	88	86	83	82	80
Sun	81	80	80	80	81	83	86	87	88	88	88	88	88	86	85	83	80