Best Time to Drive from Salinas to Santa Cruz

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 39 minutes via SR-1 North, usually 41 at this time.

Only 62% 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 Santa Cruz 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	37	46	47	47	40	39	40	40	40	40	42	45	44	40	38	38	38
Tue	37	46	52	56	43	41	40	40	40	40	42	45	46	41	38	38	38
Wed	37	46	52	54	44	41	40	40	40	41	42	45	46	40	39	39	38
Thu	37	47	52	56	44	40	40	40	40	41	43	47	49	42	39	39	38
Fri	37	43	44	44	41	40	41	40	42	43	44	49	53	44	39	39	38
Sat	37	38	38	38	39	39	41	42	42	41	42	42	41	41	40	40	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	38	39	41	42	43	44	43	42	42	41	39	38	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Salinas to Santa Cruz (via SR-1 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 57 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (44 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 11 miles surface streets (14 to 24 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 Cruz 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 Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 37-mile drive usually takes 37 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Salinas to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-1 North in Bay Area (16 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Cruz 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	37	46	47	47	40	39	40	40	40	40	42	45	44	40	38	38	38
Tue	37	46	52	56	43	41	40	40	40	40	42	45	46	41	38	38	38
Wed	37	46	52	54	44	41	40	40	40	41	42	45	46	40	39	39	38
Thu	37	47	52	56	44	40	40	40	40	41	43	47	49	42	39	39	38
Fri	37	43	44	44	41	40	41	40	42	43	44	49	53	44	39	39	38
Sat	37	38	38	38	39	39	41	42	42	41	42	42	41	41	40	40	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	38	39	41	42	43	44	43	42	42	41	39	38	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	46	47	47	40	39	40	40	40	40	42	45	44	40	38	38	38
Tue	37	46	52	56	43	41	40	40	40	40	42	45	46	41	38	38	38
Wed	37	46	52	54	44	41	40	40	40	41	42	45	46	40	39	39	38
Thu	37	47	52	56	44	40	40	40	40	41	43	47	49	42	39	39	38
Fri	37	43	44	44	41	40	41	40	42	43	44	49	53	44	39	39	38
Sat	37	38	38	38	39	39	41	42	42	41	42	42	41	41	40	40	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	38	39	41	42	43	44	43	42	42	41	39	38	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	46	47	47	40	39	40	40	40	40	42	45	44	40	38	38	38
Tue	37	46	52	56	43	41	40	40	40	40	42	45	46	41	38	38	38
Wed	37	46	52	54	44	41	40	40	40	41	42	45	46	40	39	39	38
Thu	37	47	52	56	44	40	40	40	40	41	43	47	49	42	39	39	38
Fri	37	43	44	44	41	40	41	40	42	43	44	49	53	44	39	39	38
Sat	37	38	38	38	39	39	41	42	42	41	42	42	41	41	40	40	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	38	39	41	42	43	44	43	42	42	41	39	38	38