Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to SJC

Right now (12:48 am PDT): about 43 minutes via US-101 South.

Only 53% 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 SJC 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	43	45	52	63	61	52	50	51	51	54	60	63	63	53	49	46	44
Tue	43	45	52	71	69	56	50	49	49	54	67	77	76	61	50	46	43
Wed	43	44	51	68	64	53	49	48	49	55	67	77	77	59	50	46	43
Thu	43	44	53	68	64	55	50	49	49	58	69	78	79	63	51	46	44
Fri	43	44	47	51	49	48	48	49	50	55	61	64	59	52	49	45	43
Sat	43	43	43	44	44	45	46	48	47	48	48	49	50	51	47	46	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	46	47	48	48	48	48	48	49	48	47	47	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from San Francisco to SJC (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 81 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 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 42 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 downtown San Francisco (Market Street) to San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) 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 SJC?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Francisco to SJC?

The 46-mile drive usually takes 43 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to SJC?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (42 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

SJC 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	43	45	52	63	61	52	50	51	51	54	60	63	63	53	49	46	44
Tue	43	45	52	71	69	56	50	49	49	54	67	77	76	61	50	46	43
Wed	43	44	51	68	64	53	49	48	49	55	67	77	77	59	50	46	43
Thu	43	44	53	68	64	55	50	49	49	58	69	78	79	63	51	46	44
Fri	43	44	47	51	49	48	48	49	50	55	61	64	59	52	49	45	43
Sat	43	43	43	44	44	45	46	48	47	48	48	49	50	51	47	46	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	46	47	48	48	48	48	48	49	48	47	47	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	45	52	63	61	52	50	51	51	54	60	63	63	53	49	46	44
Tue	43	45	52	71	69	56	50	49	49	54	67	77	76	61	50	46	43
Wed	43	44	51	68	64	53	49	48	49	55	67	77	77	59	50	46	43
Thu	43	44	53	68	64	55	50	49	49	58	69	78	79	63	51	46	44
Fri	43	44	47	51	49	48	48	49	50	55	61	64	59	52	49	45	43
Sat	43	43	43	44	44	45	46	48	47	48	48	49	50	51	47	46	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	46	47	48	48	48	48	48	49	48	47	47	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	45	52	63	61	52	50	51	51	54	60	63	63	53	49	46	44
Tue	43	45	52	71	69	56	50	49	49	54	67	77	76	61	50	46	43
Wed	43	44	51	68	64	53	49	48	49	55	67	77	77	59	50	46	43
Thu	43	44	53	68	64	55	50	49	49	58	69	78	79	63	51	46	44
Fri	43	44	47	51	49	48	48	49	50	55	61	64	59	52	49	45	43
Sat	43	43	43	44	44	45	46	48	47	48	48	49	50	51	47	46	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	46	47	48	48	48	48	48	49	48	47	47	44