Best Time to Drive from San Mateo to San Jose

Right now (4:03 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via US-101 South, usually 47 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 Mateo to San Jose 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	29	29	31	39	40	33	32	32	33	34	40	43	47	35	31	30	29
Tue	29	29	31	42	49	39	34	32	32	35	46	57	60	49	35	30	29
Wed	29	29	31	43	45	37	33	32	32	35	47	57	63	49	35	31	29
Thu	29	29	31	42	43	35	32	32	32	35	48	57	66	50	37	31	29
Fri	29	29	30	33	34	32	32	32	33	36	44	47	46	36	33	30	29
Sat	29	29	28	29	29	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	31	30	29
Sun	29	29	29	28	29	30	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	31	31	30	29

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from San Mateo to San Jose (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (33 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Mateo (South El Camino Real) to downtown San Jose (East Santa Clara Street) 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 Mateo to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 31-mile drive usually takes 28 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Mateo to San Jose?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (26 miles) · SR-87 South in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Jose to San Mateo (return trip) · San Mateo to San Francisco · San Mateo to Oakland · San Mateo to Palo Alto · San Mateo to Berkeley · San Mateo to Fremont · San Mateo to Walnut Creek · San Mateo to Mountain View · San Mateo to Santa Clara · San Mateo to Richmond · San Mateo to SJC · San Mateo to OAK

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	29	31	39	40	33	32	32	33	34	40	43	47	35	31	30	29
Tue	29	29	31	42	49	39	34	32	32	35	46	57	60	49	35	30	29
Wed	29	29	31	43	45	37	33	32	32	35	47	57	63	49	35	31	29
Thu	29	29	31	42	43	35	32	32	32	35	48	57	66	50	37	31	29
Fri	29	29	30	33	34	32	32	32	33	36	44	47	46	36	33	30	29
Sat	29	29	28	29	29	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	31	30	29
Sun	29	29	29	28	29	30	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	31	31	30	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	29	31	39	40	33	32	32	33	34	40	43	47	35	31	30	29
Tue	29	29	31	42	49	39	34	32	32	35	46	57	60	49	35	30	29
Wed	29	29	31	43	45	37	33	32	32	35	47	57	63	49	35	31	29
Thu	29	29	31	42	43	35	32	32	32	35	48	57	66	50	37	31	29
Fri	29	29	30	33	34	32	32	32	33	36	44	47	46	36	33	30	29
Sat	29	29	28	29	29	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	31	30	29
Sun	29	29	29	28	29	30	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	31	31	30	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	29	31	39	40	33	32	32	33	34	40	43	47	35	31	30	29
Tue	29	29	31	42	49	39	34	32	32	35	46	57	60	49	35	30	29
Wed	29	29	31	43	45	37	33	32	32	35	47	57	63	49	35	31	29
Thu	29	29	31	42	43	35	32	32	32	35	48	57	66	50	37	31	29
Fri	29	29	30	33	34	32	32	32	33	36	44	47	46	36	33	30	29
Sat	29	29	28	29	29	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	31	30	29
Sun	29	29	29	28	29	30	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	31	31	30	29