Best Time to Drive from Oakland to San Jose

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 46 minutes via I-880 South, usually 47 at this time.

Only 59% 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	66	73	63	53	49	48	46	46	48	52	58	49	40	39	39
Tue	37	47	75	84	70	55	49	47	45	46	50	57	64	55	42	38	38
Wed	37	46	77	81	68	55	49	46	45	47	51	58	66	54	43	38	38
Thu	37	46	75	81	68	56	50	46	45	48	51	60	67	57	43	39	38
Fri	37	44	53	54	51	47	47	47	48	51	56	61	62	56	45	40	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	41	46	48	48	50	51	51	52	48	43	40	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	44	45	45	45	44	45	44	42	41	38

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 84 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 (52 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 84 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 84 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 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (38 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

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	66	73	63	53	49	48	46	46	48	52	58	49	40	39	39
Tue	37	47	75	84	70	55	49	47	45	46	50	57	64	55	42	38	38
Wed	37	46	77	81	68	55	49	46	45	47	51	58	66	54	43	38	38
Thu	37	46	75	81	68	56	50	46	45	48	51	60	67	57	43	39	38
Fri	37	44	53	54	51	47	47	47	48	51	56	61	62	56	45	40	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	41	46	48	48	50	51	51	52	48	43	40	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	44	45	45	45	44	45	44	42	41	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	45	66	73	63	53	49	48	46	46	48	52	58	49	40	39	39
Tue	37	47	75	84	70	55	49	47	45	46	50	57	64	55	42	38	38
Wed	37	46	77	81	68	55	49	46	45	47	51	58	66	54	43	38	38
Thu	37	46	75	81	68	56	50	46	45	48	51	60	67	57	43	39	38
Fri	37	44	53	54	51	47	47	47	48	51	56	61	62	56	45	40	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	41	46	48	48	50	51	51	52	48	43	40	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	44	45	45	45	44	45	44	42	41	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	45	66	73	63	53	49	48	46	46	48	52	58	49	40	39	39
Tue	37	47	75	84	70	55	49	47	45	46	50	57	64	55	42	38	38
Wed	37	46	77	81	68	55	49	46	45	47	51	58	66	54	43	38	38
Thu	37	46	75	81	68	56	50	46	45	48	51	60	67	57	43	39	38
Fri	37	44	53	54	51	47	47	47	48	51	56	61	62	56	45	40	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	41	46	48	48	50	51	51	52	48	43	40	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	44	45	45	45	44	45	44	42	41	38