Best Time to Drive from Salinas to Foster City

Right now (6:20 pm PDT): about 94 minutes via US-101 North, usually 83 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Salinas to Foster City 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	81	103	112	102	92	88	85	85	85	88	89	90	88	82	81	80	80
Tue	80	109	125	116	98	90	86	85	85	88	92	95	93	85	81	80	79
Wed	80	109	119	109	96	88	86	85	86	89	91	95	93	85	81	80	80
Thu	80	105	119	112	97	90	85	84	86	90	91	96	94	87	81	81	80
Fri	80	94	100	93	87	86	87	85	88	89	90	91	93	88	82	80	79
Sat	78	79	79	80	81	84	85	87	88	87	88	89	90	89	87	83	79
Sun	79	79	79	79	80	82	85	87	92	92	92	92	94	90	88	83	78

About this drive

On weekdays the 88-mile drive from Salinas to Foster City (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 79 minutes and up to 125 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 86 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (94 minutes).

About 86 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Salinas to central Foster City 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 Salinas to Foster City?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 79 minutes then, versus up to 125 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 88-mile drive usually takes 79 to 125 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 86 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Salinas to Foster City?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 125 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (65 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Foster City to Salinas (return trip) · Salinas to San Jose · Salinas to Fremont · Salinas to Sunnyvale · Salinas to Santa Clara · Salinas to Livermore · Salinas to Redwood City · Salinas to Mountain View · Salinas to Pleasanton · Salinas to Milpitas · Salinas to Union City · Salinas to Palo Alto

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	103	112	102	92	88	85	85	85	88	89	90	88	82	81	80	80
Tue	80	109	125	116	98	90	86	85	85	88	92	95	93	85	81	80	79
Wed	80	109	119	109	96	88	86	85	86	89	91	95	93	85	81	80	80
Thu	80	105	119	112	97	90	85	84	86	90	91	96	94	87	81	81	80
Fri	80	94	100	93	87	86	87	85	88	89	90	91	93	88	82	80	79
Sat	78	79	79	80	81	84	85	87	88	87	88	89	90	89	87	83	79
Sun	79	79	79	79	80	82	85	87	92	92	92	92	94	90	88	83	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	103	112	102	92	88	85	85	85	88	89	90	88	82	81	80	80
Tue	80	109	125	116	98	90	86	85	85	88	92	95	93	85	81	80	79
Wed	80	109	119	109	96	88	86	85	86	89	91	95	93	85	81	80	80
Thu	80	105	119	112	97	90	85	84	86	90	91	96	94	87	81	81	80
Fri	80	94	100	93	87	86	87	85	88	89	90	91	93	88	82	80	79
Sat	78	79	79	80	81	84	85	87	88	87	88	89	90	89	87	83	79
Sun	79	79	79	79	80	82	85	87	92	92	92	92	94	90	88	83	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	103	112	102	92	88	85	85	85	88	89	90	88	82	81	80	80
Tue	80	109	125	116	98	90	86	85	85	88	92	95	93	85	81	80	79
Wed	80	109	119	109	96	88	86	85	86	89	91	95	93	85	81	80	80
Thu	80	105	119	112	97	90	85	84	86	90	91	96	94	87	81	81	80
Fri	80	94	100	93	87	86	87	85	88	89	90	91	93	88	82	80	79
Sat	78	79	79	80	81	84	85	87	88	87	88	89	90	89	87	83	79
Sun	79	79	79	79	80	82	85	87	92	92	92	92	94	90	88	83	78