Best Time to Drive from Salinas to Livermore

Right now (5:33 pm PDT): about 102 minutes via US-101 North and I-680 North, usually 93 at this time.

Only 79% 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 Salinas to Livermore 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	86	104	107	101	93	88	88	88	88	96	93	90	89	85	83	82	81
Tue	84	108	111	105	96	91	87	87	87	95	96	97	97	92	83	81	81
Wed	84	107	111	103	96	89	87	87	88	96	98	99	96	91	85	81	81
Thu	84	106	110	105	95	89	86	86	89	97	98	101	94	91	85	82	83
Fri	81	92	94	91	87	87	88	88	92	98	96	93	95	90	84	82	81
Sat	80	81	81	82	83	85	87	89	89	93	94	93	95	92	87	84	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	82	84	87	90	93	93	93	94	95	92	89	85	81

About this drive

On weekdays the 87-mile drive from Salinas to Livermore (via US-101 North and I-680 North) usually takes as little as 81 minutes and up to 112 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 90 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (95 minutes).

About 77 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (12 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Salinas to central Livermore 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 Livermore?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 81 minutes then, versus up to 112 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Salinas to Livermore?

The 87-mile drive usually takes 81 to 112 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 90 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Salinas to Livermore?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 112 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (35 miles) · I-680 North in Bay Area (21 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	86	104	107	101	93	88	88	88	88	96	93	90	89	85	83	82	81
Tue	84	108	111	105	96	91	87	87	87	95	96	97	97	92	83	81	81
Wed	84	107	111	103	96	89	87	87	88	96	98	99	96	91	85	81	81
Thu	84	106	110	105	95	89	86	86	89	97	98	101	94	91	85	82	83
Fri	81	92	94	91	87	87	88	88	92	98	96	93	95	90	84	82	81
Sat	80	81	81	82	83	85	87	89	89	93	94	93	95	92	87	84	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	82	84	87	90	93	93	93	94	95	92	89	85	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	86	104	107	101	93	88	88	88	88	96	93	90	89	85	83	82	81
Tue	84	108	111	105	96	91	87	87	87	95	96	97	97	92	83	81	81
Wed	84	107	111	103	96	89	87	87	88	96	98	99	96	91	85	81	81
Thu	84	106	110	105	95	89	86	86	89	97	98	101	94	91	85	82	83
Fri	81	92	94	91	87	87	88	88	92	98	96	93	95	90	84	82	81
Sat	80	81	81	82	83	85	87	89	89	93	94	93	95	92	87	84	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	82	84	87	90	93	93	93	94	95	92	89	85	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	86	104	107	101	93	88	88	88	88	96	93	90	89	85	83	82	81
Tue	84	108	111	105	96	91	87	87	87	95	96	97	97	92	83	81	81
Wed	84	107	111	103	96	89	87	87	88	96	98	99	96	91	85	81	81
Thu	84	106	110	105	95	89	86	86	89	97	98	101	94	91	85	82	83
Fri	81	92	94	91	87	87	88	88	92	98	96	93	95	90	84	82	81
Sat	80	81	81	82	83	85	87	89	89	93	94	93	95	92	87	84	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	82	84	87	90	93	93	93	94	95	92	89	85	81