Best Time to Drive from Richmond to San Jose

Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 72 minutes via I-880 South, usually 77 at this time.

Only 51% 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 Richmond 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	48	60	90	92	80	67	64	63	61	61	67	70	72	59	52	50	50
Tue	47	64	97	113	92	72	63	60	58	61	69	76	81	67	54	50	49
Wed	47	63	97	102	86	68	63	60	59	63	68	79	83	67	54	50	49
Thu	47	62	96	104	88	70	65	60	61	64	73	84	85	71	55	50	49
Fri	48	57	70	72	67	61	61	62	64	69	77	81	78	68	57	52	49
Sat	49	49	50	51	51	55	63	64	64	67	69	69	71	66	60	55	50
Sun	49	49	49	49	50	52	57	59	61	62	63	62	63	61	58	55	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Richmond to San Jose (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 113 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 62 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (72 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 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 Richmond (Macdonald Avenue) to downtown San Jose (East Santa Clara 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 Richmond to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 113 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 53-mile drive usually takes 47 to 113 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 62 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Richmond to San Jose?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 113 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (41 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	60	90	92	80	67	64	63	61	61	67	70	72	59	52	50	50
Tue	47	64	97	113	92	72	63	60	58	61	69	76	81	67	54	50	49
Wed	47	63	97	102	86	68	63	60	59	63	68	79	83	67	54	50	49
Thu	47	62	96	104	88	70	65	60	61	64	73	84	85	71	55	50	49
Fri	48	57	70	72	67	61	61	62	64	69	77	81	78	68	57	52	49
Sat	49	49	50	51	51	55	63	64	64	67	69	69	71	66	60	55	50
Sun	49	49	49	49	50	52	57	59	61	62	63	62	63	61	58	55	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	60	90	92	80	67	64	63	61	61	67	70	72	59	52	50	50
Tue	47	64	97	113	92	72	63	60	58	61	69	76	81	67	54	50	49
Wed	47	63	97	102	86	68	63	60	59	63	68	79	83	67	54	50	49
Thu	47	62	96	104	88	70	65	60	61	64	73	84	85	71	55	50	49
Fri	48	57	70	72	67	61	61	62	64	69	77	81	78	68	57	52	49
Sat	49	49	50	51	51	55	63	64	64	67	69	69	71	66	60	55	50
Sun	49	49	49	49	50	52	57	59	61	62	63	62	63	61	58	55	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	60	90	92	80	67	64	63	61	61	67	70	72	59	52	50	50
Tue	47	64	97	113	92	72	63	60	58	61	69	76	81	67	54	50	49
Wed	47	63	97	102	86	68	63	60	59	63	68	79	83	67	54	50	49
Thu	47	62	96	104	88	70	65	60	61	64	73	84	85	71	55	50	49
Fri	48	57	70	72	67	61	61	62	64	69	77	81	78	68	57	52	49
Sat	49	49	50	51	51	55	63	64	64	67	69	69	71	66	60	55	50
Sun	49	49	49	49	50	52	57	59	61	62	63	62	63	61	58	55	49