Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Santa Clara

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 56 minutes via US-101 South, usually 50 at this time.

Only 51% 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 San Francisco 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	42	44	50	61	59	51	48	49	49	52	57	59	60	51	48	45	43
Tue	41	44	51	69	68	55	49	47	48	53	63	72	71	58	49	44	42
Wed	41	42	48	66	63	52	47	47	47	53	63	73	72	56	49	44	42
Thu	42	43	50	65	62	53	48	47	47	56	65	74	75	60	50	44	42
Fri	41	43	46	49	48	46	47	47	48	53	58	61	55	50	47	44	42
Sat	42	42	42	42	43	44	45	46	45	46	46	47	49	50	46	45	43
Sun	42	42	42	42	43	45	46	47	46	46	46	46	48	47	45	45	42

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from San Francisco to Santa Clara (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 76 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 49 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (50 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Francisco (Market Street) to central Santa Clara (Lincoln Street) 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 Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 76 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Francisco to Santa Clara?

The 44-mile drive usually takes 41 to 76 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 49 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 76 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (41 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clara 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 Richmond · San Francisco to Sacramento

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	44	50	61	59	51	48	49	49	52	57	59	60	51	48	45	43
Tue	41	44	51	69	68	55	49	47	48	53	63	72	71	58	49	44	42
Wed	41	42	48	66	63	52	47	47	47	53	63	73	72	56	49	44	42
Thu	42	43	50	65	62	53	48	47	47	56	65	74	75	60	50	44	42
Fri	41	43	46	49	48	46	47	47	48	53	58	61	55	50	47	44	42
Sat	42	42	42	42	43	44	45	46	45	46	46	47	49	50	46	45	43
Sun	42	42	42	42	43	45	46	47	46	46	46	46	48	47	45	45	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	44	50	61	59	51	48	49	49	52	57	59	60	51	48	45	43
Tue	41	44	51	69	68	55	49	47	48	53	63	72	71	58	49	44	42
Wed	41	42	48	66	63	52	47	47	47	53	63	73	72	56	49	44	42
Thu	42	43	50	65	62	53	48	47	47	56	65	74	75	60	50	44	42
Fri	41	43	46	49	48	46	47	47	48	53	58	61	55	50	47	44	42
Sat	42	42	42	42	43	44	45	46	45	46	46	47	49	50	46	45	43
Sun	42	42	42	42	43	45	46	47	46	46	46	46	48	47	45	45	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	44	50	61	59	51	48	49	49	52	57	59	60	51	48	45	43
Tue	41	44	51	69	68	55	49	47	48	53	63	72	71	58	49	44	42
Wed	41	42	48	66	63	52	47	47	47	53	63	73	72	56	49	44	42
Thu	42	43	50	65	62	53	48	47	47	56	65	74	75	60	50	44	42
Fri	41	43	46	49	48	46	47	47	48	53	58	61	55	50	47	44	42
Sat	42	42	42	42	43	44	45	46	45	46	46	47	49	50	46	45	43
Sun	42	42	42	42	43	45	46	47	46	46	46	46	48	47	45	45	42