Best Time to Drive from San Jose to Berkeley

Right now (4:52 pm PDT): about 71 minutes via I-880 North, usually 68 at this time.

Only 50% 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 Jose to Berkeley 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	44	47	53	62	57	52	52	51	52	56	65	67	68	62	52	46	44
Tue	43	46	54	69	62	53	50	50	51	55	65	74	77	70	61	49	44
Wed	43	46	53	68	59	52	51	51	52	58	67	76	77	71	61	50	44
Thu	44	46	54	70	62	52	50	51	52	56	70	77	78	72	61	51	44
Fri	43	46	49	56	52	50	51	52	53	61	69	72	68	63	56	49	44
Sat	44	45	46	46	46	49	52	54	54	56	57	57	55	53	52	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	46	47	48	49	51	51	51	53	52	51	52	51	50	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from San Jose to Berkeley (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 78 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 52 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (58 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Jose (East Santa Clara Street) to central Berkeley (Martin Luther King Junior Way) 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 Jose to Berkeley?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 78 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Jose to Berkeley?

The 46-mile drive usually takes 43 to 78 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 52 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to Berkeley?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 78 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (39 miles) · I-980 East in Bay Area (1.8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Berkeley to San Jose (return trip) · San Jose to San Francisco · San Jose to Oakland · San Jose to Palo Alto · San Jose to Fremont · San Jose to Walnut Creek · San Jose to San Mateo · San Jose to Hayward · San Jose to Mountain View · San Jose to Pleasanton · San Jose to Richmond · San Jose to SFO

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	53	62	57	52	52	51	52	56	65	67	68	62	52	46	44
Tue	43	46	54	69	62	53	50	50	51	55	65	74	77	70	61	49	44
Wed	43	46	53	68	59	52	51	51	52	58	67	76	77	71	61	50	44
Thu	44	46	54	70	62	52	50	51	52	56	70	77	78	72	61	51	44
Fri	43	46	49	56	52	50	51	52	53	61	69	72	68	63	56	49	44
Sat	44	45	46	46	46	49	52	54	54	56	57	57	55	53	52	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	46	47	48	49	51	51	51	53	52	51	52	51	50	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	53	62	57	52	52	51	52	56	65	67	68	62	52	46	44
Tue	43	46	54	69	62	53	50	50	51	55	65	74	77	70	61	49	44
Wed	43	46	53	68	59	52	51	51	52	58	67	76	77	71	61	50	44
Thu	44	46	54	70	62	52	50	51	52	56	70	77	78	72	61	51	44
Fri	43	46	49	56	52	50	51	52	53	61	69	72	68	63	56	49	44
Sat	44	45	46	46	46	49	52	54	54	56	57	57	55	53	52	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	46	47	48	49	51	51	51	53	52	51	52	51	50	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	53	62	57	52	52	51	52	56	65	67	68	62	52	46	44
Tue	43	46	54	69	62	53	50	50	51	55	65	74	77	70	61	49	44
Wed	43	46	53	68	59	52	51	51	52	58	67	76	77	71	61	50	44
Thu	44	46	54	70	62	52	50	51	52	56	70	77	78	72	61	51	44
Fri	43	46	49	56	52	50	51	52	53	61	69	72	68	63	56	49	44
Sat	44	45	46	46	46	49	52	54	54	56	57	57	55	53	52	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	46	47	48	49	51	51	51	53	52	51	52	51	50	44