Best Time to Drive from Richmond to Santa Clara

Right now (7:50 pm PST): about 67 minutes via I-880 South, usually 52 at this time.

Only 47% 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 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	50	62	89	97	85	68	63	62	61	68	71	74	74	61	53	52	51
Tue	49	65	96	113	92	74	65	62	60	67	72	79	82	73	56	52	51
Wed	49	64	96	107	90	71	65	62	61	69	72	82	86	73	58	52	51
Thu	49	64	96	108	91	72	66	62	64	70	77	87	88	76	58	52	51
Fri	50	59	70	75	68	62	63	63	67	73	80	84	78	70	60	54	51
Sat	50	51	52	52	53	56	62	63	64	65	67	69	70	66	60	56	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	52	54	59	61	63	63	64	64	65	65	61	59	52

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Richmond to Santa Clara (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 49 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 64 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (70 minutes).

About 47 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 22 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 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 Richmond to Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 113 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 53-mile drive usually takes 49 to 113 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 64 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Richmond to Santa Clara?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (38 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

Richmond to Santa Clara over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Santa Clara to Richmond (return trip) · Richmond to San Francisco · Richmond to Oakland · Richmond to San Jose · 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	62	89	97	85	68	63	62	61	68	71	74	74	61	53	52	51
Tue	49	65	96	113	92	74	65	62	60	67	72	79	82	73	56	52	51
Wed	49	64	96	107	90	71	65	62	61	69	72	82	86	73	58	52	51
Thu	49	64	96	108	91	72	66	62	64	70	77	87	88	76	58	52	51
Fri	50	59	70	75	68	62	63	63	67	73	80	84	78	70	60	54	51
Sat	50	51	52	52	53	56	62	63	64	65	67	69	70	66	60	56	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	52	54	59	61	63	63	64	64	65	65	61	59	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	62	89	97	85	68	63	62	61	68	71	74	74	61	53	52	51
Tue	49	65	96	113	92	74	65	62	60	67	72	79	82	73	56	52	51
Wed	49	64	96	107	90	71	65	62	61	69	72	82	86	73	58	52	51
Thu	49	64	96	108	91	72	66	62	64	70	77	87	88	76	58	52	51
Fri	50	59	70	75	68	62	63	63	67	73	80	84	78	70	60	54	51
Sat	50	51	52	52	53	56	62	63	64	65	67	69	70	66	60	56	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	52	54	59	61	63	63	64	64	65	65	61	59	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	62	89	97	85	68	63	62	61	68	71	74	74	61	53	52	51
Tue	49	65	96	113	92	74	65	62	60	67	72	79	82	73	56	52	51
Wed	49	64	96	107	90	71	65	62	61	69	72	82	86	73	58	52	51
Thu	49	64	96	108	91	72	66	62	64	70	77	87	88	76	58	52	51
Fri	50	59	70	75	68	62	63	63	67	73	80	84	78	70	60	54	51
Sat	50	51	52	52	53	56	62	63	64	65	67	69	70	66	60	56	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	52	54	59	61	63	63	64	64	65	65	61	59	52