Best Time to Drive from San Rafael to San Jose

Right now (1:23 am PST): about 58 minutes via I-880 South and I-580 West.

Only 79% 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 Rafael 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	57	70	105	101	87	74	72	70	69	71	77	79	80	65	60	58	57
Tue	56	76	128	127	95	80	72	69	67	71	79	85	86	71	61	58	57
Wed	56	75	120	116	92	77	73	70	69	72	78	88	88	72	61	58	57
Thu	56	75	122	119	93	79	74	70	71	75	86	91	90	77	62	58	57
Fri	57	68	86	84	76	70	72	72	74	78	85	84	84	75	67	61	58
Sat	57	57	58	59	60	66	73	78	78	79	79	78	79	73	67	63	59
Sun	57	57	57	57	59	62	69	74	75	75	76	74	74	73	71	65	57

About this drive

On weekdays the 64-mile drive from San Rafael to San Jose (via I-880 South and I-580 West) usually takes as little as 56 minutes and up to 133 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 71 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (80 minutes).

About 61 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Rafael to downtown San Jose 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 Rafael to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 56 minutes then, versus up to 133 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 64-mile drive usually takes 56 to 133 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 71 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Rafael to San Jose?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 133 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (42 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (13 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (5 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (1.5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Jose to San Rafael (return trip) · San Rafael to San Francisco · San Rafael to Oakland · San Rafael to Stockton · San Rafael to Fremont · San Rafael to Santa Rosa · San Rafael to Elk Grove · San Rafael to Hayward · San Rafael to Sunnyvale · San Rafael to Concord · San Rafael to Santa Clara · San Rafael to Vallejo

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	70	105	101	87	74	72	70	69	71	77	79	80	65	60	58	57
Tue	56	76	128	127	95	80	72	69	67	71	79	85	86	71	61	58	57
Wed	56	75	120	116	92	77	73	70	69	72	78	88	88	72	61	58	57
Thu	56	75	122	119	93	79	74	70	71	75	86	91	90	77	62	58	57
Fri	57	68	86	84	76	70	72	72	74	78	85	84	84	75	67	61	58
Sat	57	57	58	59	60	66	73	78	78	79	79	78	79	73	67	63	59
Sun	57	57	57	57	59	62	69	74	75	75	76	74	74	73	71	65	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	70	105	101	87	74	72	70	69	71	77	79	80	65	60	58	57
Tue	56	76	128	127	95	80	72	69	67	71	79	85	86	71	61	58	57
Wed	56	75	120	116	92	77	73	70	69	72	78	88	88	72	61	58	57
Thu	56	75	122	119	93	79	74	70	71	75	86	91	90	77	62	58	57
Fri	57	68	86	84	76	70	72	72	74	78	85	84	84	75	67	61	58
Sat	57	57	58	59	60	66	73	78	78	79	79	78	79	73	67	63	59
Sun	57	57	57	57	59	62	69	74	75	75	76	74	74	73	71	65	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	70	105	101	87	74	72	70	69	71	77	79	80	65	60	58	57
Tue	56	76	128	127	95	80	72	69	67	71	79	85	86	71	61	58	57
Wed	56	75	120	116	92	77	73	70	69	72	78	88	88	72	61	58	57
Thu	56	75	122	119	93	79	74	70	71	75	86	91	90	77	62	58	57
Fri	57	68	86	84	76	70	72	72	74	78	85	84	84	75	67	61	58
Sat	57	57	58	59	60	66	73	78	78	79	79	78	79	73	67	63	59
Sun	57	57	57	57	59	62	69	74	75	75	76	74	74	73	71	65	57