Best Time to Drive from Salinas to Santa Clara

Right now (5:33 pm PDT): about 66 minutes via US-101 North, usually 68 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Salinas 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	60	77	84	77	69	64	63	63	63	63	65	66	67	61	60	60	59
Tue	59	83	89	83	70	66	63	62	62	63	65	66	68	63	59	59	59
Wed	60	82	88	82	70	65	63	63	62	64	65	66	67	63	60	59	59
Thu	60	81	87	82	70	65	63	62	63	64	65	66	68	64	60	59	59
Fri	59	70	75	68	64	64	64	63	64	65	66	67	70	65	61	60	59
Sat	58	58	59	59	60	62	64	66	66	68	67	67	69	67	64	62	59
Sun	58	58	58	58	59	61	64	67	71	71	70	70	71	68	66	63	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 64-mile drive from Salinas to Santa Clara (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 59 minutes and up to 90 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 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 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (71 minutes).

About 60 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Salinas to central Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 59 minutes then, versus up to 90 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 64-mile drive usually takes 59 to 90 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Salinas to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 90 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (38 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clara to Salinas (return trip) · Salinas to San Jose · Salinas to Fremont · Salinas to Sunnyvale · Salinas to Livermore · 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	60	77	84	77	69	64	63	63	63	63	65	66	67	61	60	60	59
Tue	59	83	89	83	70	66	63	62	62	63	65	66	68	63	59	59	59
Wed	60	82	88	82	70	65	63	63	62	64	65	66	67	63	60	59	59
Thu	60	81	87	82	70	65	63	62	63	64	65	66	68	64	60	59	59
Fri	59	70	75	68	64	64	64	63	64	65	66	67	70	65	61	60	59
Sat	58	58	59	59	60	62	64	66	66	68	67	67	69	67	64	62	59
Sun	58	58	58	58	59	61	64	67	71	71	70	70	71	68	66	63	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	60	77	84	77	69	64	63	63	63	63	65	66	67	61	60	60	59
Tue	59	83	89	83	70	66	63	62	62	63	65	66	68	63	59	59	59
Wed	60	82	88	82	70	65	63	63	62	64	65	66	67	63	60	59	59
Thu	60	81	87	82	70	65	63	62	63	64	65	66	68	64	60	59	59
Fri	59	70	75	68	64	64	64	63	64	65	66	67	70	65	61	60	59
Sat	58	58	59	59	60	62	64	66	66	68	67	67	69	67	64	62	59
Sun	58	58	58	58	59	61	64	67	71	71	70	70	71	68	66	63	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	60	77	84	77	69	64	63	63	63	63	65	66	67	61	60	60	59
Tue	59	83	89	83	70	66	63	62	62	63	65	66	68	63	59	59	59
Wed	60	82	88	82	70	65	63	63	62	64	65	66	67	63	60	59	59
Thu	60	81	87	82	70	65	63	62	63	64	65	66	68	64	60	59	59
Fri	59	70	75	68	64	64	64	63	64	65	66	67	70	65	61	60	59
Sat	58	58	59	59	60	62	64	66	66	68	67	67	69	67	64	62	59
Sun	58	58	58	58	59	61	64	67	71	71	70	70	71	68	66	63	58