Best Time to Drive from Redwood City to Salinas

Right now (5:33 pm PDT): about 108 minutes via US-101 South, usually 79 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Redwood City to Salinas 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	74	76	78	86	89	84	83	83	86	98	109	114	109	87	78	75	74
Tue	74	75	78	88	96	89	85	82	83	94	118	127	115	100	82	77	75
Wed	74	76	78	89	95	88	83	83	84	95	119	126	120	100	83	77	75
Thu	74	75	78	89	92	85	81	81	84	97	125	130	121	101	85	77	75
Fri	74	76	78	81	82	81	83	87	95	110	125	123	109	91	83	76	74
Sat	74	73	74	75	77	82	86	87	89	88	87	83	80	78	77	76	74
Sun	74	74	74	74	75	77	80	81	82	82	80	79	79	78	77	76	74

About this drive

On weekdays the 82-mile drive from Redwood City to Salinas (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 74 minutes and up to 130 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 87 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (90 minutes).

About 78 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Redwood City to central Salinas 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 Redwood City to Salinas?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 74 minutes then, versus up to 130 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Redwood City to Salinas?

The 82-mile drive usually takes 74 to 130 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 87 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Redwood City to Salinas?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 130 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (61 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Salinas to Redwood City (return trip) · Redwood City to San Jose · Redwood City to San Francisco · Redwood City to Oakland · Redwood City to Stockton · Redwood City to Fremont · Redwood City to Modesto · Redwood City to Hayward · Redwood City to Sunnyvale · Redwood City to Concord

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	76	78	86	89	84	83	83	86	98	109	114	109	87	78	75	74
Tue	74	75	78	88	96	89	85	82	83	94	118	127	115	100	82	77	75
Wed	74	76	78	89	95	88	83	83	84	95	119	126	120	100	83	77	75
Thu	74	75	78	89	92	85	81	81	84	97	125	130	121	101	85	77	75
Fri	74	76	78	81	82	81	83	87	95	110	125	123	109	91	83	76	74
Sat	74	73	74	75	77	82	86	87	89	88	87	83	80	78	77	76	74
Sun	74	74	74	74	75	77	80	81	82	82	80	79	79	78	77	76	74

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	76	78	86	89	84	83	83	86	98	109	114	109	87	78	75	74
Tue	74	75	78	88	96	89	85	82	83	94	118	127	115	100	82	77	75
Wed	74	76	78	89	95	88	83	83	84	95	119	126	120	100	83	77	75
Thu	74	75	78	89	92	85	81	81	84	97	125	130	121	101	85	77	75
Fri	74	76	78	81	82	81	83	87	95	110	125	123	109	91	83	76	74
Sat	74	73	74	75	77	82	86	87	89	88	87	83	80	78	77	76	74
Sun	74	74	74	74	75	77	80	81	82	82	80	79	79	78	77	76	74

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	76	78	86	89	84	83	83	86	98	109	114	109	87	78	75	74
Tue	74	75	78	88	96	89	85	82	83	94	118	127	115	100	82	77	75
Wed	74	76	78	89	95	88	83	83	84	95	119	126	120	100	83	77	75
Thu	74	75	78	89	92	85	81	81	84	97	125	130	121	101	85	77	75
Fri	74	76	78	81	82	81	83	87	95	110	125	123	109	91	83	76	74
Sat	74	73	74	75	77	82	86	87	89	88	87	83	80	78	77	76	74
Sun	74	74	74	74	75	77	80	81	82	82	80	79	79	78	77	76	74