Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Redwood City to Santa Cruz
Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 70 minutes via SR-17 South and SR-85 South and US-101 South, usually 52 at this time.
Only 70% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 45 | 46 | 48 | 56 | 58 | 51 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 57 | 63 | 67 | 54 | 49 | 47 | 46 |
| Tue | 45 | 46 | 48 | 60 | 66 | 55 | 52 | 50 | 49 | 50 | 64 | 77 | 81 | 66 | 52 | 48 | 47 |
| Wed | 45 | 46 | 48 | 62 | 65 | 56 | 51 | 50 | 49 | 51 | 65 | 78 | 83 | 65 | 51 | 48 | 46 |
| Thu | 46 | 46 | 48 | 62 | 64 | 54 | 51 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 64 | 80 | 81 | 63 | 53 | 48 | 46 |
| Fri | 46 | 46 | 48 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 60 | 65 | 61 | 54 | 50 | 47 | 46 |
| Sat | 46 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 |
| Sun | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 46 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 49-mile drive from Redwood City to Santa Cruz (via SR-17 South and SR-85 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 45 minutes and up to 85 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).
About 44 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 14 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 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 Redwood City to Santa Cruz?
On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 45 minutes then, versus up to 85 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Redwood City to Santa Cruz?
The 49-mile drive usually takes 45 to 85 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Redwood City to Santa Cruz?
Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 85 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 (11 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow
More drives
Santa Cruz 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 Salinas · Redwood City to Concord · Redwood City to Santa Clara