Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Watsonville

Right now (7:35 pm PST): about 103 minutes via US-101 South and SR-17 South, usually 86 at this time.

Only 79% 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 Watsonville 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	81	83	88	98	96	91	90	91	95	106	123	126	107	92	87	84	83
Tue	81	83	89	104	102	94	90	93	96	108	130	137	121	102	89	84	82
Wed	81	82	88	103	100	91	90	95	99	113	135	142	125	101	89	84	82
Thu	81	82	89	102	99	93	90	92	98	117	138	142	120	101	90	85	82
Fri	81	82	86	89	89	88	91	97	103	116	128	125	105	93	90	85	82
Sat	81	81	82	83	85	88	91	93	93	93	92	92	88	88	85	84	82
Sun	81	81	81	82	84	86	88	89	88	88	87	86	87	86	85	85	82

About this drive

On weekdays the 90-mile drive from San Francisco to Watsonville (via US-101 South and SR-17 South) usually takes as little as 81 minutes and up to 144 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 98 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (93 minutes).

About 85 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Francisco to central Watsonville 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 Watsonville?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 81 minutes then, versus up to 144 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 90-mile drive usually takes 81 to 144 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 98 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Watsonville?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 144 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (36 miles) · SR-17 South in Bay Area (19 miles) · SR-1 South in Bay Area (15 miles) · SR-85 South in Bay Area (13 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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 · 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	81	83	88	98	96	91	90	91	95	106	123	126	107	92	87	84	83
Tue	81	83	89	104	102	94	90	93	96	108	130	137	121	102	89	84	82
Wed	81	82	88	103	100	91	90	95	99	113	135	142	125	101	89	84	82
Thu	81	82	89	102	99	93	90	92	98	117	138	142	120	101	90	85	82
Fri	81	82	86	89	89	88	91	97	103	116	128	125	105	93	90	85	82
Sat	81	81	82	83	85	88	91	93	93	93	92	92	88	88	85	84	82
Sun	81	81	81	82	84	86	88	89	88	88	87	86	87	86	85	85	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	83	88	98	96	91	90	91	95	106	123	126	107	92	87	84	83
Tue	81	83	89	104	102	94	90	93	96	108	130	137	121	102	89	84	82
Wed	81	82	88	103	100	91	90	95	99	113	135	142	125	101	89	84	82
Thu	81	82	89	102	99	93	90	92	98	117	138	142	120	101	90	85	82
Fri	81	82	86	89	89	88	91	97	103	116	128	125	105	93	90	85	82
Sat	81	81	82	83	85	88	91	93	93	93	92	92	88	88	85	84	82
Sun	81	81	81	82	84	86	88	89	88	88	87	86	87	86	85	85	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	83	88	98	96	91	90	91	95	106	123	126	107	92	87	84	83
Tue	81	83	89	104	102	94	90	93	96	108	130	137	121	102	89	84	82
Wed	81	82	88	103	100	91	90	95	99	113	135	142	125	101	89	84	82
Thu	81	82	89	102	99	93	90	92	98	117	138	142	120	101	90	85	82
Fri	81	82	86	89	89	88	91	97	103	116	128	125	105	93	90	85	82
Sat	81	81	82	83	85	88	91	93	93	93	92	92	88	88	85	84	82
Sun	81	81	81	82	84	86	88	89	88	88	87	86	87	86	85	85	82