Best Time to Drive from Prunedale to San Jose

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via US-101 North, usually 55 at this time.

Only 78% 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 Prunedale 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	49	65	68	63	60	56	55	54	53	55	52	53	53	50	49	50	49
Tue	48	71	73	65	60	56	54	53	53	53	52	52	52	50	49	49	49
Wed	49	70	71	62	60	58	55	54	53	53	52	52	53	50	49	49	49
Thu	49	69	71	64	60	56	53	53	54	53	52	53	55	51	49	49	49
Fri	48	57	63	59	54	54	54	54	54	54	53	53	56	55	51	50	49
Sat	48	49	49	49	50	52	54	56	55	55	56	56	57	57	54	52	49
Sun	49	49	49	48	49	51	53	57	59	59	60	59	61	58	56	53	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 54-mile drive from Prunedale to San Jose (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 76 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (61 minutes).

About 52 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.7 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Prunedale 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 Prunedale to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 76 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 54-mile drive usually takes 48 to 76 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Prunedale to San Jose?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 76 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (27 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (7 miles) · SR-87 North in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Jose to Prunedale (return trip)

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	65	68	63	60	56	55	54	53	55	52	53	53	50	49	50	49
Tue	48	71	73	65	60	56	54	53	53	53	52	52	52	50	49	49	49
Wed	49	70	71	62	60	58	55	54	53	53	52	52	53	50	49	49	49
Thu	49	69	71	64	60	56	53	53	54	53	52	53	55	51	49	49	49
Fri	48	57	63	59	54	54	54	54	54	54	53	53	56	55	51	50	49
Sat	48	49	49	49	50	52	54	56	55	55	56	56	57	57	54	52	49
Sun	49	49	49	48	49	51	53	57	59	59	60	59	61	58	56	53	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	65	68	63	60	56	55	54	53	55	52	53	53	50	49	50	49
Tue	48	71	73	65	60	56	54	53	53	53	52	52	52	50	49	49	49
Wed	49	70	71	62	60	58	55	54	53	53	52	52	53	50	49	49	49
Thu	49	69	71	64	60	56	53	53	54	53	52	53	55	51	49	49	49
Fri	48	57	63	59	54	54	54	54	54	54	53	53	56	55	51	50	49
Sat	48	49	49	49	50	52	54	56	55	55	56	56	57	57	54	52	49
Sun	49	49	49	48	49	51	53	57	59	59	60	59	61	58	56	53	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	65	68	63	60	56	55	54	53	55	52	53	53	50	49	50	49
Tue	48	71	73	65	60	56	54	53	53	53	52	52	52	50	49	49	49
Wed	49	70	71	62	60	58	55	54	53	53	52	52	53	50	49	49	49
Thu	49	69	71	64	60	56	53	53	54	53	52	53	55	51	49	49	49
Fri	48	57	63	59	54	54	54	54	54	54	53	53	56	55	51	50	49
Sat	48	49	49	49	50	52	54	56	55	55	56	56	57	57	54	52	49
Sun	49	49	49	48	49	51	53	57	59	59	60	59	61	58	56	53	49