Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Los Gatos

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 78 minutes via US-101 South and SR-85 South, usually 50 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from San Francisco to Los Gatos 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	46	48	52	61	60	53	52	53	53	54	65	68	67	55	51	49	48
Tue	46	47	52	68	67	57	53	51	51	56	73	83	82	64	53	49	47
Wed	46	47	52	64	62	55	52	51	52	58	77	89	83	64	53	49	47
Thu	46	47	52	64	63	55	52	51	52	58	78	90	85	64	54	49	47
Fri	46	47	50	53	52	51	52	52	53	56	67	68	62	55	52	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	50	52	53	52	52	53	53	54	54	50	50	48
Sun	47	47	46	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	51	50	52	51	50	50	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 52-mile drive from San Francisco to Los Gatos (via US-101 South and SR-85 South) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 91 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 53 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (54 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.9 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Francisco to central Los Gatos 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 San Francisco to Los Gatos?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 91 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Francisco to Los Gatos?

The 52-mile drive usually takes 46 to 91 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 53 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Los Gatos?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 91 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (36 miles) · SR-85 South in Bay Area (13 miles) · SR-17 South in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Los Gatos to San Francisco (return trip) · San Francisco to San Jose · San Francisco to Palo Alto · San Francisco to Berkeley · San Francisco to Fremont · San Francisco to Walnut Creek · San Francisco to San Mateo · San Francisco to Hayward · San Francisco to Mountain View · San Francisco to Pleasanton · San Francisco to Santa Clara · San Francisco to Richmond

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	48	52	61	60	53	52	53	53	54	65	68	67	55	51	49	48
Tue	46	47	52	68	67	57	53	51	51	56	73	83	82	64	53	49	47
Wed	46	47	52	64	62	55	52	51	52	58	77	89	83	64	53	49	47
Thu	46	47	52	64	63	55	52	51	52	58	78	90	85	64	54	49	47
Fri	46	47	50	53	52	51	52	52	53	56	67	68	62	55	52	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	50	52	53	52	52	53	53	54	54	50	50	48
Sun	47	47	46	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	51	50	52	51	50	50	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	48	52	61	60	53	52	53	53	54	65	68	67	55	51	49	48
Tue	46	47	52	68	67	57	53	51	51	56	73	83	82	64	53	49	47
Wed	46	47	52	64	62	55	52	51	52	58	77	89	83	64	53	49	47
Thu	46	47	52	64	63	55	52	51	52	58	78	90	85	64	54	49	47
Fri	46	47	50	53	52	51	52	52	53	56	67	68	62	55	52	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	50	52	53	52	52	53	53	54	54	50	50	48
Sun	47	47	46	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	51	50	52	51	50	50	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	48	52	61	60	53	52	53	53	54	65	68	67	55	51	49	48
Tue	46	47	52	68	67	57	53	51	51	56	73	83	82	64	53	49	47
Wed	46	47	52	64	62	55	52	51	52	58	77	89	83	64	53	49	47
Thu	46	47	52	64	63	55	52	51	52	58	78	90	85	64	54	49	47
Fri	46	47	50	53	52	51	52	52	53	56	67	68	62	55	52	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	50	52	53	52	52	53	53	54	54	50	50	48
Sun	47	47	46	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	51	50	52	51	50	50	47