Best Time to Drive from Napa to Santa Clara

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 89 minutes via I-680 South, usually 85 at this time.

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 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	80	100	115	110	99	92	92	91	91	90	92	91	88	80	79	79	79
Tue	79	100	131	127	109	94	90	88	88	91	94	97	92	83	79	79	79
Wed	79	100	124	118	104	92	89	89	89	91	94	97	94	83	79	79	79
Thu	79	100	124	122	106	93	89	89	88	91	94	98	94	83	79	79	79
Fri	79	86	92	96	89	89	88	88	89	93	95	95	92	84	80	79	79
Sat	79	79	79	79	81	84	86	87	87	88	87	88	88	86	81	80	78
Sun	79	78	79	78	79	82	85	86	87	88	87	87	91	85	83	81	78

About this drive

On weekdays the 84-mile drive from Napa to Santa Clara (via I-680 South) usually takes as little as 79 minutes and up to 131 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 90 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (91 minutes).

About 73 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 11 miles surface streets (14 to 28 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Napa 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 Napa to Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 79 minutes then, versus up to 131 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 84-mile drive usually takes 79 to 131 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 90 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Napa to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 131 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (57 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (9 miles) · SR-12 East in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (1.3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clara to Napa (return trip) · Napa to San Jose · 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	80	100	115	110	99	92	92	91	91	90	92	91	88	80	79	79	79
Tue	79	100	131	127	109	94	90	88	88	91	94	97	92	83	79	79	79
Wed	79	100	124	118	104	92	89	89	89	91	94	97	94	83	79	79	79
Thu	79	100	124	122	106	93	89	89	88	91	94	98	94	83	79	79	79
Fri	79	86	92	96	89	89	88	88	89	93	95	95	92	84	80	79	79
Sat	79	79	79	79	81	84	86	87	87	88	87	88	88	86	81	80	78
Sun	79	78	79	78	79	82	85	86	87	88	87	87	91	85	83	81	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	80	100	115	110	99	92	92	91	91	90	92	91	88	80	79	79	79
Tue	79	100	131	127	109	94	90	88	88	91	94	97	92	83	79	79	79
Wed	79	100	124	118	104	92	89	89	89	91	94	97	94	83	79	79	79
Thu	79	100	124	122	106	93	89	89	88	91	94	98	94	83	79	79	79
Fri	79	86	92	96	89	89	88	88	89	93	95	95	92	84	80	79	79
Sat	79	79	79	79	81	84	86	87	87	88	87	88	88	86	81	80	78
Sun	79	78	79	78	79	82	85	86	87	88	87	87	91	85	83	81	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	80	100	115	110	99	92	92	91	91	90	92	91	88	80	79	79	79
Tue	79	100	131	127	109	94	90	88	88	91	94	97	92	83	79	79	79
Wed	79	100	124	118	104	92	89	89	89	91	94	97	94	83	79	79	79
Thu	79	100	124	122	106	93	89	89	88	91	94	98	94	83	79	79	79
Fri	79	86	92	96	89	89	88	88	89	93	95	95	92	84	80	79	79
Sat	79	79	79	79	81	84	86	87	87	88	87	88	88	86	81	80	78
Sun	79	78	79	78	79	82	85	86	87	88	87	87	91	85	83	81	78