Best Time to Drive from San Jose to Richmond

Right now (4:03 pm PDT): about 83 minutes via I-880 North, usually 94 at this time.

Only 45% 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 Richmond 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	48	51	57	66	62	57	57	57	58	67	80	83	81	68	57	51	49
Tue	48	51	57	73	66	58	56	56	58	68	83	94	93	77	66	54	49
Wed	48	51	57	71	64	58	57	57	58	70	85	97	94	79	66	55	49
Thu	48	51	58	74	66	57	55	56	58	67	88	97	95	79	66	56	49
Fri	48	51	55	61	57	56	57	59	64	77	90	94	86	73	62	54	48
Sat	48	49	49	50	50	53	57	62	64	65	67	65	62	58	55	53	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	49	51	52	55	57	57	58	57	55	56	54	53	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from San Jose to Richmond (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 98 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 60 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (67 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 13 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 central Richmond (Macdonald Avenue) 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 Richmond?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 98 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 53-mile drive usually takes 48 to 98 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 60 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to Richmond?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 98 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (42 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (4 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Richmond 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 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	48	51	57	66	62	57	57	57	58	67	80	83	81	68	57	51	49
Tue	48	51	57	73	66	58	56	56	58	68	83	94	93	77	66	54	49
Wed	48	51	57	71	64	58	57	57	58	70	85	97	94	79	66	55	49
Thu	48	51	58	74	66	57	55	56	58	67	88	97	95	79	66	56	49
Fri	48	51	55	61	57	56	57	59	64	77	90	94	86	73	62	54	48
Sat	48	49	49	50	50	53	57	62	64	65	67	65	62	58	55	53	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	49	51	52	55	57	57	58	57	55	56	54	53	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	51	57	66	62	57	57	57	58	67	80	83	81	68	57	51	49
Tue	48	51	57	73	66	58	56	56	58	68	83	94	93	77	66	54	49
Wed	48	51	57	71	64	58	57	57	58	70	85	97	94	79	66	55	49
Thu	48	51	58	74	66	57	55	56	58	67	88	97	95	79	66	56	49
Fri	48	51	55	61	57	56	57	59	64	77	90	94	86	73	62	54	48
Sat	48	49	49	50	50	53	57	62	64	65	67	65	62	58	55	53	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	49	51	52	55	57	57	58	57	55	56	54	53	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	51	57	66	62	57	57	57	58	67	80	83	81	68	57	51	49
Tue	48	51	57	73	66	58	56	56	58	68	83	94	93	77	66	54	49
Wed	48	51	57	71	64	58	57	57	58	70	85	97	94	79	66	55	49
Thu	48	51	58	74	66	57	55	56	58	67	88	97	95	79	66	56	49
Fri	48	51	55	61	57	56	57	59	64	77	90	94	86	73	62	54	48
Sat	48	49	49	50	50	53	57	62	64	65	67	65	62	58	55	53	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	49	51	52	55	57	57	58	57	55	56	54	53	49