Best Time to Drive from San Jose to OAK

Right now (5:50 pm PST): about 68 minutes via I-880 North, usually 55 at this time.

Only 27% 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 OAK 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	35	36	40	49	46	42	42	41	42	46	56	57	60	55	44	37	35
Tue	35	36	41	55	50	42	41	41	42	46	56	65	69	63	52	40	35
Wed	35	36	41	55	49	43	42	41	42	48	57	66	69	64	52	40	35
Thu	35	36	41	56	50	42	41	41	42	47	61	68	69	64	52	41	35
Fri	35	36	40	45	42	41	41	42	44	50	59	63	60	55	48	40	35
Sat	35	35	36	36	36	37	39	41	42	44	44	46	45	44	41	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	39	40	40	41	40	41	39	38	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from San Jose to OAK (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (46 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 16 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 Oakland International Airport (OAK) (John Glenn Drive) 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 OAK?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 36-mile drive usually takes 35 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to OAK?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (31 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

OAK 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	35	36	40	49	46	42	42	41	42	46	56	57	60	55	44	37	35
Tue	35	36	41	55	50	42	41	41	42	46	56	65	69	63	52	40	35
Wed	35	36	41	55	49	43	42	41	42	48	57	66	69	64	52	40	35
Thu	35	36	41	56	50	42	41	41	42	47	61	68	69	64	52	41	35
Fri	35	36	40	45	42	41	41	42	44	50	59	63	60	55	48	40	35
Sat	35	35	36	36	36	37	39	41	42	44	44	46	45	44	41	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	39	40	40	41	40	41	39	38	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	40	49	46	42	42	41	42	46	56	57	60	55	44	37	35
Tue	35	36	41	55	50	42	41	41	42	46	56	65	69	63	52	40	35
Wed	35	36	41	55	49	43	42	41	42	48	57	66	69	64	52	40	35
Thu	35	36	41	56	50	42	41	41	42	47	61	68	69	64	52	41	35
Fri	35	36	40	45	42	41	41	42	44	50	59	63	60	55	48	40	35
Sat	35	35	36	36	36	37	39	41	42	44	44	46	45	44	41	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	39	40	40	41	40	41	39	38	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	40	49	46	42	42	41	42	46	56	57	60	55	44	37	35
Tue	35	36	41	55	50	42	41	41	42	46	56	65	69	63	52	40	35
Wed	35	36	41	55	49	43	42	41	42	48	57	66	69	64	52	40	35
Thu	35	36	41	56	50	42	41	41	42	47	61	68	69	64	52	41	35
Fri	35	36	40	45	42	41	41	42	44	50	59	63	60	55	48	40	35
Sat	35	35	36	36	36	37	39	41	42	44	44	46	45	44	41	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	39	40	40	41	40	41	39	38	36