Best Time to Drive from Pleasanton to Santa Clara

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 43 minutes via I-680 South and I-880 South, usually 33 at this time.

Only 32% 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 Pleasanton 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	30	33	49	52	50	38	33	33	32	35	40	40	41	35	32	30	30
Tue	29	32	51	64	63	48	36	32	32	36	40	41	41	41	36	30	30
Wed	29	32	49	59	57	45	35	33	32	36	40	41	43	40	36	31	30
Thu	29	32	49	61	60	48	36	32	32	37	40	41	43	40	37	32	30
Fri	30	31	35	35	35	33	32	32	33	38	40	41	41	35	33	31	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	34	35	35	30	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	34	32	31	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 26-mile drive from Pleasanton to Santa Clara (via I-680 South and I-880 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 65 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (35 minutes).

About 19 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (13 to 27 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Pleasanton to central Santa Clara (Lincoln 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 Pleasanton to Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 65 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 26-mile drive usually takes 29 to 65 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pleasanton to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 65 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (13 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (6 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clara to Pleasanton (return trip) · Pleasanton to San Francisco · Pleasanton to Oakland · Pleasanton to San Jose · Pleasanton to Palo Alto · Pleasanton to Berkeley · Pleasanton to Fremont · Pleasanton to Walnut Creek · Pleasanton to San Mateo · Pleasanton to Hayward · Pleasanton to Mountain View · Pleasanton 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	30	33	49	52	50	38	33	33	32	35	40	40	41	35	32	30	30
Tue	29	32	51	64	63	48	36	32	32	36	40	41	41	41	36	30	30
Wed	29	32	49	59	57	45	35	33	32	36	40	41	43	40	36	31	30
Thu	29	32	49	61	60	48	36	32	32	37	40	41	43	40	37	32	30
Fri	30	31	35	35	35	33	32	32	33	38	40	41	41	35	33	31	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	34	35	35	30	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	34	32	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	33	49	52	50	38	33	33	32	35	40	40	41	35	32	30	30
Tue	29	32	51	64	63	48	36	32	32	36	40	41	41	41	36	30	30
Wed	29	32	49	59	57	45	35	33	32	36	40	41	43	40	36	31	30
Thu	29	32	49	61	60	48	36	32	32	37	40	41	43	40	37	32	30
Fri	30	31	35	35	35	33	32	32	33	38	40	41	41	35	33	31	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	34	35	35	30	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	34	32	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	33	49	52	50	38	33	33	32	35	40	40	41	35	32	30	30
Tue	29	32	51	64	63	48	36	32	32	36	40	41	41	41	36	30	30
Wed	29	32	49	59	57	45	35	33	32	36	40	41	43	40	36	31	30
Thu	29	32	49	61	60	48	36	32	32	37	40	41	43	40	37	32	30
Fri	30	31	35	35	35	33	32	32	33	38	40	41	41	35	33	31	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	34	35	35	30	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	34	32	31	30