Best Time to Drive from San Mateo to Santa Clara

Right now (3:35 pm PST): about 35 minutes via US-101 South, usually 45 at this time.

Only 34% 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 Santa Clara 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	27	27	29	38	41	32	30	30	30	32	36	39	41	33	30	28	27
Tue	27	27	30	44	49	37	32	30	30	33	41	48	51	43	33	28	27
Wed	27	27	30	44	47	36	31	30	30	33	42	49	54	43	33	29	27
Thu	27	27	29	45	46	36	31	30	30	33	42	49	55	43	35	29	27
Fri	27	27	29	31	32	30	30	30	30	34	39	41	40	34	31	28	27
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	29	30	30	30	29	28	27
Sun	27	26	27	26	27	27	28	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	28	28	27

About this drive

On weekdays the 27-mile drive from San Mateo to Santa Clara (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 55 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 31 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6:30 pm on Saturdays (30 minutes).

About 24 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 12 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 central Santa Clara (Lincoln 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 Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 55 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Mateo to Santa Clara?

The 27-mile drive usually takes 26 to 55 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 31 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Mateo to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 55 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (24 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clara to San Mateo (return trip) · San Mateo to San Francisco · San Mateo to Oakland · San Mateo to San Jose · 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 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	27	27	29	38	41	32	30	30	30	32	36	39	41	33	30	28	27
Tue	27	27	30	44	49	37	32	30	30	33	41	48	51	43	33	28	27
Wed	27	27	30	44	47	36	31	30	30	33	42	49	54	43	33	29	27
Thu	27	27	29	45	46	36	31	30	30	33	42	49	55	43	35	29	27
Fri	27	27	29	31	32	30	30	30	30	34	39	41	40	34	31	28	27
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	29	30	30	30	29	28	27
Sun	27	26	27	26	27	27	28	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	28	28	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	29	38	41	32	30	30	30	32	36	39	41	33	30	28	27
Tue	27	27	30	44	49	37	32	30	30	33	41	48	51	43	33	28	27
Wed	27	27	30	44	47	36	31	30	30	33	42	49	54	43	33	29	27
Thu	27	27	29	45	46	36	31	30	30	33	42	49	55	43	35	29	27
Fri	27	27	29	31	32	30	30	30	30	34	39	41	40	34	31	28	27
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	29	30	30	30	29	28	27
Sun	27	26	27	26	27	27	28	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	28	28	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	29	38	41	32	30	30	30	32	36	39	41	33	30	28	27
Tue	27	27	30	44	49	37	32	30	30	33	41	48	51	43	33	28	27
Wed	27	27	30	44	47	36	31	30	30	33	42	49	54	43	33	29	27
Thu	27	27	29	45	46	36	31	30	30	33	42	49	55	43	35	29	27
Fri	27	27	29	31	32	30	30	30	30	34	39	41	40	34	31	28	27
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	29	30	30	30	29	28	27
Sun	27	26	27	26	27	27	28	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	28	28	27