Best Time to Drive from San Jose to SFO

Right now (5:50 pm PST): about 47 minutes via US-101 North, usually 42 at this time.

Only 23% 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 SFO 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	33	35	39	48	46	40	37	36	35	36	38	41	43	40	36	34	34
Tue	32	34	40	53	53	43	39	36	36	36	39	45	48	45	39	35	34
Wed	33	34	40	52	50	42	38	37	36	37	40	45	48	46	40	35	34
Thu	32	34	40	53	51	43	39	37	36	37	41	44	48	45	40	35	35
Fri	32	34	38	43	40	37	36	36	36	37	40	42	45	42	39	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	35	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	35	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from San Jose to SFO (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 56 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.8 miles surface streets (3 to 5 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 San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (Departures) 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 SFO?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 56 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 36-mile drive usually takes 32 to 56 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to SFO?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 56 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (31 miles) · SR-87 North in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

SFO 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	33	35	39	48	46	40	37	36	35	36	38	41	43	40	36	34	34
Tue	32	34	40	53	53	43	39	36	36	36	39	45	48	45	39	35	34
Wed	33	34	40	52	50	42	38	37	36	37	40	45	48	46	40	35	34
Thu	32	34	40	53	51	43	39	37	36	37	41	44	48	45	40	35	35
Fri	32	34	38	43	40	37	36	36	36	37	40	42	45	42	39	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	35	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	35	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	35	39	48	46	40	37	36	35	36	38	41	43	40	36	34	34
Tue	32	34	40	53	53	43	39	36	36	36	39	45	48	45	39	35	34
Wed	33	34	40	52	50	42	38	37	36	37	40	45	48	46	40	35	34
Thu	32	34	40	53	51	43	39	37	36	37	41	44	48	45	40	35	35
Fri	32	34	38	43	40	37	36	36	36	37	40	42	45	42	39	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	35	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	35	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	35	39	48	46	40	37	36	35	36	38	41	43	40	36	34	34
Tue	32	34	40	53	53	43	39	36	36	36	39	45	48	45	39	35	34
Wed	33	34	40	52	50	42	38	37	36	37	40	45	48	46	40	35	34
Thu	32	34	40	53	51	43	39	37	36	37	41	44	48	45	40	35	35
Fri	32	34	38	43	40	37	36	36	36	37	40	42	45	42	39	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	35	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	35	33