Best Time to Drive from Oakland to San Jose

Right now (6:53 pm PST): about 56 minutes via I-880 South, usually 44 at this time.

Only 52% 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 Oakland 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	37	45	62	71	63	53	48	47	45	46	48	53	58	50	40	39	38
Tue	37	46	69	80	68	55	49	46	45	46	50	57	65	55	42	39	38
Wed	37	46	72	77	67	55	49	46	45	47	52	60	68	55	43	38	38
Thu	37	46	69	76	66	55	50	46	46	48	52	62	67	57	44	39	38
Fri	37	44	52	53	51	47	47	46	47	49	55	61	61	55	45	40	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	41	45	47	47	48	48	50	51	48	43	40	39
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	44	44	45	44	44	45	45	42	41	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Oakland to San Jose (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 80 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 47 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Oakland (Broadway) to downtown San Jose (East Santa Clara Street) 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 Oakland to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 80 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 41-mile drive usually takes 37 to 80 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 47 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Oakland to San Jose?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 80 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (38 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

Oakland to San Jose over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

San Jose to Oakland (return trip) · Oakland to Palo Alto · Oakland to Fremont · Oakland to Walnut Creek · Oakland to San Mateo · Oakland to Hayward · Oakland to Mountain View · Oakland to Pleasanton · Oakland to Santa Clara · Oakland to Richmond · Oakland to Sacramento · Oakland to SFO

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	45	62	71	63	53	48	47	45	46	48	53	58	50	40	39	38
Tue	37	46	69	80	68	55	49	46	45	46	50	57	65	55	42	39	38
Wed	37	46	72	77	67	55	49	46	45	47	52	60	68	55	43	38	38
Thu	37	46	69	76	66	55	50	46	46	48	52	62	67	57	44	39	38
Fri	37	44	52	53	51	47	47	46	47	49	55	61	61	55	45	40	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	41	45	47	47	48	48	50	51	48	43	40	39
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	44	44	45	44	44	45	45	42	41	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	45	62	71	63	53	48	47	45	46	48	53	58	50	40	39	38
Tue	37	46	69	80	68	55	49	46	45	46	50	57	65	55	42	39	38
Wed	37	46	72	77	67	55	49	46	45	47	52	60	68	55	43	38	38
Thu	37	46	69	76	66	55	50	46	46	48	52	62	67	57	44	39	38
Fri	37	44	52	53	51	47	47	46	47	49	55	61	61	55	45	40	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	41	45	47	47	48	48	50	51	48	43	40	39
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	44	44	45	44	44	45	45	42	41	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	45	62	71	63	53	48	47	45	46	48	53	58	50	40	39	38
Tue	37	46	69	80	68	55	49	46	45	46	50	57	65	55	42	39	38
Wed	37	46	72	77	67	55	49	46	45	47	52	60	68	55	43	38	38
Thu	37	46	69	76	66	55	50	46	46	48	52	62	67	57	44	39	38
Fri	37	44	52	53	51	47	47	46	47	49	55	61	61	55	45	40	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	41	45	47	47	48	48	50	51	48	43	40	39
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	44	44	45	44	44	45	45	42	41	39