Best Time to Drive from Orinda to San Jose

Right now (6:18 pm PDT): about 86 minutes via I-680 South, usually 59 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Orinda 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	50	57	72	73	63	57	55	56	56	57	62	66	70	58	52	51	51
Tue	50	56	76	83	75	64	57	55	55	55	65	76	85	67	54	52	51
Wed	50	56	75	80	68	63	56	55	55	56	66	78	83	67	54	51	51
Thu	50	56	81	77	71	64	55	55	55	56	66	77	83	67	54	52	51
Fri	50	54	60	56	56	55	55	54	55	59	73	82	82	67	55	52	51
Sat	50	51	51	51	52	53	54	55	55	56	57	58	62	64	54	51	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	52	53	54	54	54	54	54	54	58	53	52	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 56-mile drive from Orinda to San Jose (via I-680 South) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 86 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (64 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Orinda 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 Orinda to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 86 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 56-mile drive usually takes 50 to 86 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Orinda to San Jose?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 86 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (45 miles) · SR-24 East in Bay Area (7 miles) · I-280 North in Bay Area (1.5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Jose to Orinda (return trip) · Orinda to San Francisco

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	57	72	73	63	57	55	56	56	57	62	66	70	58	52	51	51
Tue	50	56	76	83	75	64	57	55	55	55	65	76	85	67	54	52	51
Wed	50	56	75	80	68	63	56	55	55	56	66	78	83	67	54	51	51
Thu	50	56	81	77	71	64	55	55	55	56	66	77	83	67	54	52	51
Fri	50	54	60	56	56	55	55	54	55	59	73	82	82	67	55	52	51
Sat	50	51	51	51	52	53	54	55	55	56	57	58	62	64	54	51	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	52	53	54	54	54	54	54	54	58	53	52	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	57	72	73	63	57	55	56	56	57	62	66	70	58	52	51	51
Tue	50	56	76	83	75	64	57	55	55	55	65	76	85	67	54	52	51
Wed	50	56	75	80	68	63	56	55	55	56	66	78	83	67	54	51	51
Thu	50	56	81	77	71	64	55	55	55	56	66	77	83	67	54	52	51
Fri	50	54	60	56	56	55	55	54	55	59	73	82	82	67	55	52	51
Sat	50	51	51	51	52	53	54	55	55	56	57	58	62	64	54	51	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	52	53	54	54	54	54	54	54	58	53	52	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	57	72	73	63	57	55	56	56	57	62	66	70	58	52	51	51
Tue	50	56	76	83	75	64	57	55	55	55	65	76	85	67	54	52	51
Wed	50	56	75	80	68	63	56	55	55	56	66	78	83	67	54	51	51
Thu	50	56	81	77	71	64	55	55	55	56	66	77	83	67	54	52	51
Fri	50	54	60	56	56	55	55	54	55	59	73	82	82	67	55	52	51
Sat	50	51	51	51	52	53	54	55	55	56	57	58	62	64	54	51	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	52	53	54	54	54	54	54	54	58	53	52	51