Best Time to Drive from Salinas to Union City

Right now (6:33 pm PDT): about 82 minutes via US-101 North, usually 80 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Salinas to Union 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	74	93	100	91	84	80	78	78	79	83	84	85	84	78	74	73	72
Tue	73	98	103	96	84	81	78	78	78	83	86	90	88	82	75	72	72
Wed	73	98	102	94	84	80	78	78	78	83	86	90	89	82	76	72	72
Thu	73	95	100	94	84	80	76	76	79	85	87	90	89	82	76	72	72
Fri	73	85	89	84	79	79	79	78	81	86	87	87	87	82	76	73	72
Sat	71	72	72	72	74	77	79	80	80	81	82	83	84	83	79	75	72
Sun	72	72	72	71	73	75	78	81	85	85	84	85	87	83	81	77	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 79-mile drive from Salinas to Union City (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 72 minutes and up to 103 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 79 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (87 minutes).

About 75 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (5 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Salinas to central Union 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 Union City?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 72 minutes then, versus up to 103 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 79-mile drive usually takes 72 to 103 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 79 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Salinas to Union City?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 103 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (41 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (14 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Union 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	93	100	91	84	80	78	78	79	83	84	85	84	78	74	73	72
Tue	73	98	103	96	84	81	78	78	78	83	86	90	88	82	75	72	72
Wed	73	98	102	94	84	80	78	78	78	83	86	90	89	82	76	72	72
Thu	73	95	100	94	84	80	76	76	79	85	87	90	89	82	76	72	72
Fri	73	85	89	84	79	79	79	78	81	86	87	87	87	82	76	73	72
Sat	71	72	72	72	74	77	79	80	80	81	82	83	84	83	79	75	72
Sun	72	72	72	71	73	75	78	81	85	85	84	85	87	83	81	77	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	93	100	91	84	80	78	78	79	83	84	85	84	78	74	73	72
Tue	73	98	103	96	84	81	78	78	78	83	86	90	88	82	75	72	72
Wed	73	98	102	94	84	80	78	78	78	83	86	90	89	82	76	72	72
Thu	73	95	100	94	84	80	76	76	79	85	87	90	89	82	76	72	72
Fri	73	85	89	84	79	79	79	78	81	86	87	87	87	82	76	73	72
Sat	71	72	72	72	74	77	79	80	80	81	82	83	84	83	79	75	72
Sun	72	72	72	71	73	75	78	81	85	85	84	85	87	83	81	77	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	93	100	91	84	80	78	78	79	83	84	85	84	78	74	73	72
Tue	73	98	103	96	84	81	78	78	78	83	86	90	88	82	75	72	72
Wed	73	98	102	94	84	80	78	78	78	83	86	90	89	82	76	72	72
Thu	73	95	100	94	84	80	76	76	79	85	87	90	89	82	76	72	72
Fri	73	85	89	84	79	79	79	78	81	86	87	87	87	82	76	73	72
Sat	71	72	72	72	74	77	79	80	80	81	82	83	84	83	79	75	72
Sun	72	72	72	71	73	75	78	81	85	85	84	85	87	83	81	77	71