Best Time to Drive from San Jose to Lafayette

Right now (8:20 pm PST): about 46 minutes via I-680 North and I-880 North, usually 46 at this time.

Only 74% 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 Lafayette 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	45	46	49	53	53	50	50	50	50	52	61	65	65	60	50	47	46
Tue	45	46	50	56	57	51	50	49	49	53	65	74	74	65	57	49	45
Wed	45	46	49	56	57	51	50	50	50	55	67	77	75	66	57	49	45
Thu	45	46	49	57	56	52	50	49	50	55	67	77	75	66	57	50	45
Fri	45	46	48	51	51	49	49	50	52	61	69	71	66	60	52	49	46
Sat	45	45	45	46	46	47	48	49	51	51	52	52	51	51	49	47	46
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	46	47	48	48	49	49	50	49	50	49	48	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 50-mile drive from San Jose to Lafayette (via I-680 North and I-880 North) usually takes as little as 45 minutes and up to 77 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 51 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (52 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Jose to central Lafayette 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 Lafayette?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 45 minutes then, versus up to 77 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 50-mile drive usually takes 45 to 77 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 51 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to Lafayette?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 77 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 North in Bay Area (32 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (12 miles) · SR-24 West in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lafayette to San Jose (return trip) · San Jose to San Francisco · San Jose to Oakland · San Jose to Palo Alto · San Jose to Berkeley · 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	46	49	53	53	50	50	50	50	52	61	65	65	60	50	47	46
Tue	45	46	50	56	57	51	50	49	49	53	65	74	74	65	57	49	45
Wed	45	46	49	56	57	51	50	50	50	55	67	77	75	66	57	49	45
Thu	45	46	49	57	56	52	50	49	50	55	67	77	75	66	57	50	45
Fri	45	46	48	51	51	49	49	50	52	61	69	71	66	60	52	49	46
Sat	45	45	45	46	46	47	48	49	51	51	52	52	51	51	49	47	46
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	46	47	48	48	49	49	50	49	50	49	48	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	46	49	53	53	50	50	50	50	52	61	65	65	60	50	47	46
Tue	45	46	50	56	57	51	50	49	49	53	65	74	74	65	57	49	45
Wed	45	46	49	56	57	51	50	50	50	55	67	77	75	66	57	49	45
Thu	45	46	49	57	56	52	50	49	50	55	67	77	75	66	57	50	45
Fri	45	46	48	51	51	49	49	50	52	61	69	71	66	60	52	49	46
Sat	45	45	45	46	46	47	48	49	51	51	52	52	51	51	49	47	46
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	46	47	48	48	49	49	50	49	50	49	48	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	46	49	53	53	50	50	50	50	52	61	65	65	60	50	47	46
Tue	45	46	50	56	57	51	50	49	49	53	65	74	74	65	57	49	45
Wed	45	46	49	56	57	51	50	50	50	55	67	77	75	66	57	49	45
Thu	45	46	49	57	56	52	50	49	50	55	67	77	75	66	57	50	45
Fri	45	46	48	51	51	49	49	50	52	61	69	71	66	60	52	49	46
Sat	45	45	45	46	46	47	48	49	51	51	52	52	51	51	49	47	46
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	46	47	48	48	49	49	50	49	50	49	48	46