Best Time to Drive from San Jose to Oakland

Right now (4:52 pm PDT): about 62 minutes via I-880 North, usually 61 at this time.

Only 55% 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 Oakland 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	37	40	44	54	49	45	45	44	45	49	58	59	60	55	45	40	38
Tue	37	39	44	59	54	46	43	43	45	49	58	66	69	63	54	43	38
Wed	37	39	44	59	51	45	44	44	45	51	59	67	69	64	54	43	38
Thu	37	39	44	61	53	45	43	44	45	49	63	68	70	65	54	44	38
Fri	37	39	43	49	45	43	44	45	47	54	62	64	61	57	49	42	38
Sat	38	38	38	38	39	40	43	46	46	47	48	48	47	46	43	41	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	38	39	40	41	42	42	43	43	42	44	42	41	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from San Jose to Oakland (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 70 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 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 9 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 downtown Oakland (Broadway) 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 Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 70 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 41-mile drive usually takes 37 to 70 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to Oakland?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 70 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (38 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Oakland to San Jose (return trip) · San Jose to San Francisco · 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 · 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	37	40	44	54	49	45	45	44	45	49	58	59	60	55	45	40	38
Tue	37	39	44	59	54	46	43	43	45	49	58	66	69	63	54	43	38
Wed	37	39	44	59	51	45	44	44	45	51	59	67	69	64	54	43	38
Thu	37	39	44	61	53	45	43	44	45	49	63	68	70	65	54	44	38
Fri	37	39	43	49	45	43	44	45	47	54	62	64	61	57	49	42	38
Sat	38	38	38	38	39	40	43	46	46	47	48	48	47	46	43	41	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	38	39	40	41	42	42	43	43	42	44	42	41	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	40	44	54	49	45	45	44	45	49	58	59	60	55	45	40	38
Tue	37	39	44	59	54	46	43	43	45	49	58	66	69	63	54	43	38
Wed	37	39	44	59	51	45	44	44	45	51	59	67	69	64	54	43	38
Thu	37	39	44	61	53	45	43	44	45	49	63	68	70	65	54	44	38
Fri	37	39	43	49	45	43	44	45	47	54	62	64	61	57	49	42	38
Sat	38	38	38	38	39	40	43	46	46	47	48	48	47	46	43	41	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	38	39	40	41	42	42	43	43	42	44	42	41	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	40	44	54	49	45	45	44	45	49	58	59	60	55	45	40	38
Tue	37	39	44	59	54	46	43	43	45	49	58	66	69	63	54	43	38
Wed	37	39	44	59	51	45	44	44	45	51	59	67	69	64	54	43	38
Thu	37	39	44	61	53	45	43	44	45	49	63	68	70	65	54	44	38
Fri	37	39	43	49	45	43	44	45	47	54	62	64	61	57	49	42	38
Sat	38	38	38	38	39	40	43	46	46	47	48	48	47	46	43	41	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	38	39	40	41	42	42	43	43	42	44	42	41	38