Best Time to Drive from San Jose to Newark

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 33 minutes via I-880 North, usually 30 at this time.

Only 68% 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 Newark 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	20	20	23	29	29	25	24	23	23	24	29	34	37	34	25	21	20
Tue	19	21	25	29	32	25	23	23	23	24	31	37	42	40	31	23	20
Wed	20	20	25	30	32	25	24	23	22	25	31	37	42	40	31	23	20
Thu	20	20	24	30	34	26	23	22	23	24	33	37	42	39	31	23	20
Fri	19	20	22	26	26	23	23	23	24	28	33	34	34	32	27	22	20
Sat	20	20	20	20	20	21	23	25	25	25	27	27	26	25	25	22	21
Sun	20	20	20	20	20	20	21	22	23	23	23	23	23	24	22	22	20

About this drive

On weekdays the 20-mile drive from San Jose to Newark (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 19 minutes and up to 42 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 23 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (27 minutes).

About 16 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 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 to central Newark 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 Newark?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 19 minutes then, versus up to 42 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 20-mile drive usually takes 19 to 42 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 23 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to Newark?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 42 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (16 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Newark 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	20	20	23	29	29	25	24	23	23	24	29	34	37	34	25	21	20
Tue	19	21	25	29	32	25	23	23	23	24	31	37	42	40	31	23	20
Wed	20	20	25	30	32	25	24	23	22	25	31	37	42	40	31	23	20
Thu	20	20	24	30	34	26	23	22	23	24	33	37	42	39	31	23	20
Fri	19	20	22	26	26	23	23	23	24	28	33	34	34	32	27	22	20
Sat	20	20	20	20	20	21	23	25	25	25	27	27	26	25	25	22	21
Sun	20	20	20	20	20	20	21	22	23	23	23	23	23	24	22	22	20

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	20	23	29	29	25	24	23	23	24	29	34	37	34	25	21	20
Tue	19	21	25	29	32	25	23	23	23	24	31	37	42	40	31	23	20
Wed	20	20	25	30	32	25	24	23	22	25	31	37	42	40	31	23	20
Thu	20	20	24	30	34	26	23	22	23	24	33	37	42	39	31	23	20
Fri	19	20	22	26	26	23	23	23	24	28	33	34	34	32	27	22	20
Sat	20	20	20	20	20	21	23	25	25	25	27	27	26	25	25	22	21
Sun	20	20	20	20	20	20	21	22	23	23	23	23	23	24	22	22	20

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	20	23	29	29	25	24	23	23	24	29	34	37	34	25	21	20
Tue	19	21	25	29	32	25	23	23	23	24	31	37	42	40	31	23	20
Wed	20	20	25	30	32	25	24	23	22	25	31	37	42	40	31	23	20
Thu	20	20	24	30	34	26	23	22	23	24	33	37	42	39	31	23	20
Fri	19	20	22	26	26	23	23	23	24	28	33	34	34	32	27	22	20
Sat	20	20	20	20	20	21	23	25	25	25	27	27	26	25	25	22	21
Sun	20	20	20	20	20	20	21	22	23	23	23	23	23	24	22	22	20