Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Santa Cruz

Right now (12:50 am PST): about 40 minutes via SR-17 South and SR-85 South.

Only 75% 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 Palo Alto to Santa Cruz 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	40	40	41	45	49	46	43	43	43	44	50	55	60	51	43	41	40
Tue	40	40	41	46	53	50	46	44	43	44	57	68	79	64	48	42	40
Wed	40	40	41	45	50	48	45	43	43	44	57	70	81	64	48	42	40
Thu	40	40	41	45	50	48	45	43	43	44	56	71	78	62	50	43	40
Fri	40	40	41	44	44	43	44	44	44	45	54	61	58	52	45	42	41
Sat	40	39	40	40	41	43	44	45	45	45	45	45	44	44	43	41	41
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	43	44	43	43	43	43	42	42	42	41	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 42-mile drive from Palo Alto to Santa Cruz (via SR-17 South and SR-85 South) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 84 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 44 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palo Alto to central Santa Cruz 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 Palo Alto to Santa Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 84 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Palo Alto to Santa Cruz?

The 42-mile drive usually takes 39 to 84 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 44 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 South in Bay Area (20 miles) · SR-85 South in Bay Area (13 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Cruz to Palo Alto (return trip) · Palo Alto to San Francisco · Palo Alto to Oakland · Palo Alto to San Jose · Palo Alto to Berkeley · Palo Alto to Walnut Creek · Palo Alto to San Mateo · Palo Alto to Hayward · Palo Alto to Mountain View · Palo Alto to Pleasanton · Palo Alto to Santa Clara · Palo Alto to Richmond

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	40	41	45	49	46	43	43	43	44	50	55	60	51	43	41	40
Tue	40	40	41	46	53	50	46	44	43	44	57	68	79	64	48	42	40
Wed	40	40	41	45	50	48	45	43	43	44	57	70	81	64	48	42	40
Thu	40	40	41	45	50	48	45	43	43	44	56	71	78	62	50	43	40
Fri	40	40	41	44	44	43	44	44	44	45	54	61	58	52	45	42	41
Sat	40	39	40	40	41	43	44	45	45	45	45	45	44	44	43	41	41
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	43	44	43	43	43	43	42	42	42	41	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	40	41	45	49	46	43	43	43	44	50	55	60	51	43	41	40
Tue	40	40	41	46	53	50	46	44	43	44	57	68	79	64	48	42	40
Wed	40	40	41	45	50	48	45	43	43	44	57	70	81	64	48	42	40
Thu	40	40	41	45	50	48	45	43	43	44	56	71	78	62	50	43	40
Fri	40	40	41	44	44	43	44	44	44	45	54	61	58	52	45	42	41
Sat	40	39	40	40	41	43	44	45	45	45	45	45	44	44	43	41	41
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	43	44	43	43	43	43	42	42	42	41	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	40	41	45	49	46	43	43	43	44	50	55	60	51	43	41	40
Tue	40	40	41	46	53	50	46	44	43	44	57	68	79	64	48	42	40
Wed	40	40	41	45	50	48	45	43	43	44	57	70	81	64	48	42	40
Thu	40	40	41	45	50	48	45	43	43	44	56	71	78	62	50	43	40
Fri	40	40	41	44	44	43	44	44	44	45	54	61	58	52	45	42	41
Sat	40	39	40	40	41	43	44	45	45	45	45	45	44	44	43	41	41
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	43	44	43	43	43	43	42	42	42	41	40