Best Time to Drive from San Jose to Santa Cruz

Right now (5:54 pm PDT): about 46 minutes via SR-17 South, usually 46 at this time.

Only 60% 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 Santa Cruz 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	32	33	34	40	39	36	35	35	35	35	37	42	45	45	34	33	32
Tue	32	32	34	41	44	38	36	35	34	35	38	43	48	47	39	33	32
Wed	32	32	33	42	44	38	36	35	34	35	39	43	46	47	39	33	32
Thu	32	32	34	41	43	38	36	35	34	35	39	43	46	46	39	33	32
Fri	32	32	33	38	36	34	35	35	35	38	41	43	44	42	36	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	32	33	35	38	39	38	37	39	38	36	35	34	33	32
Sun	32	32	32	32	33	34	36	36	36	36	36	35	34	34	34	33	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from San Jose to Santa Cruz (via SR-17 South) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 51 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (39 minutes).

About 27 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 22 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 Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 51 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Jose to Santa Cruz?

The 33-mile drive usually takes 32 to 51 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 51 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 South in Bay Area (23 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Cruz 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	32	33	34	40	39	36	35	35	35	35	37	42	45	45	34	33	32
Tue	32	32	34	41	44	38	36	35	34	35	38	43	48	47	39	33	32
Wed	32	32	33	42	44	38	36	35	34	35	39	43	46	47	39	33	32
Thu	32	32	34	41	43	38	36	35	34	35	39	43	46	46	39	33	32
Fri	32	32	33	38	36	34	35	35	35	38	41	43	44	42	36	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	32	33	35	38	39	38	37	39	38	36	35	34	33	32
Sun	32	32	32	32	33	34	36	36	36	36	36	35	34	34	34	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	40	39	36	35	35	35	35	37	42	45	45	34	33	32
Tue	32	32	34	41	44	38	36	35	34	35	38	43	48	47	39	33	32
Wed	32	32	33	42	44	38	36	35	34	35	39	43	46	47	39	33	32
Thu	32	32	34	41	43	38	36	35	34	35	39	43	46	46	39	33	32
Fri	32	32	33	38	36	34	35	35	35	38	41	43	44	42	36	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	32	33	35	38	39	38	37	39	38	36	35	34	33	32
Sun	32	32	32	32	33	34	36	36	36	36	36	35	34	34	34	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	40	39	36	35	35	35	35	37	42	45	45	34	33	32
Tue	32	32	34	41	44	38	36	35	34	35	38	43	48	47	39	33	32
Wed	32	32	33	42	44	38	36	35	34	35	39	43	46	47	39	33	32
Thu	32	32	34	41	43	38	36	35	34	35	39	43	46	46	39	33	32
Fri	32	32	33	38	36	34	35	35	35	38	41	43	44	42	36	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	32	33	35	38	39	38	37	39	38	36	35	34	33	32
Sun	32	32	32	32	33	34	36	36	36	36	36	35	34	34	34	33	32