Best Time to Drive from San Jose to Napa

Right now (9:05 pm PDT): about 79 minutes via I-680 North, usually 77 at this time.

Only 77% 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 Napa 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	79	88	96	94	91	89	87	87	87	90	99	102	100	92	82	79	77
Tue	79	89	97	98	94	88	87	86	86	91	105	113	111	99	89	81	77
Wed	79	89	97	96	93	89	88	86	87	93	107	117	112	100	90	82	77
Thu	79	88	97	101	93	89	87	86	87	94	109	118	113	101	90	82	77
Fri	78	82	90	87	88	86	87	88	92	104	113	112	105	94	85	81	78
Sat	77	77	78	78	80	82	84	85	86	87	87	87	85	84	82	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	80	83	83	84	84	84	84	82	83	82	81	77

About this drive

On weekdays the 84-mile drive from San Jose to Napa (via I-680 North) usually takes as little as 77 minutes and up to 118 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 89 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (88 minutes).

About 75 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (11 to 20 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 Napa 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 Napa?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 77 minutes then, versus up to 118 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 84-mile drive usually takes 77 to 118 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 89 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to Napa?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 118 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 North in Bay Area (57 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (12 miles) · SR-12 West in Bay Area (5 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (1.4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Napa 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	79	88	96	94	91	89	87	87	87	90	99	102	100	92	82	79	77
Tue	79	89	97	98	94	88	87	86	86	91	105	113	111	99	89	81	77
Wed	79	89	97	96	93	89	88	86	87	93	107	117	112	100	90	82	77
Thu	79	88	97	101	93	89	87	86	87	94	109	118	113	101	90	82	77
Fri	78	82	90	87	88	86	87	88	92	104	113	112	105	94	85	81	78
Sat	77	77	78	78	80	82	84	85	86	87	87	87	85	84	82	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	80	83	83	84	84	84	84	82	83	82	81	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	88	96	94	91	89	87	87	87	90	99	102	100	92	82	79	77
Tue	79	89	97	98	94	88	87	86	86	91	105	113	111	99	89	81	77
Wed	79	89	97	96	93	89	88	86	87	93	107	117	112	100	90	82	77
Thu	79	88	97	101	93	89	87	86	87	94	109	118	113	101	90	82	77
Fri	78	82	90	87	88	86	87	88	92	104	113	112	105	94	85	81	78
Sat	77	77	78	78	80	82	84	85	86	87	87	87	85	84	82	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	80	83	83	84	84	84	84	82	83	82	81	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	88	96	94	91	89	87	87	87	90	99	102	100	92	82	79	77
Tue	79	89	97	98	94	88	87	86	86	91	105	113	111	99	89	81	77
Wed	79	89	97	96	93	89	88	86	87	93	107	117	112	100	90	82	77
Thu	79	88	97	101	93	89	87	86	87	94	109	118	113	101	90	82	77
Fri	78	82	90	87	88	86	87	88	92	104	113	112	105	94	85	81	78
Sat	77	77	78	78	80	82	84	85	86	87	87	87	85	84	82	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	80	83	83	84	84	84	84	82	83	82	81	77