Best Time to Drive from San Rafael to San Jose

Right now (7:32 pm PDT): about 75 minutes via I-880 South and I-580 West, usually 63 at this time.

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	72	104	100	86	75	74	71	70	70	75	76	79	64	59	58	57
Tue	56	78	123	125	94	80	72	69	67	70	77	83	84	70	60	58	57
Wed	56	77	120	115	91	77	72	69	68	71	76	85	87	70	61	58	57
Thu	56	76	121	117	92	79	74	70	71	74	82	90	88	75	61	58	57
Fri	57	68	84	83	75	69	71	72	74	78	86	85	83	73	65	60	58
Sat	57	57	58	59	60	65	73	79	78	79	79	79	79	74	67	62	58
Sun	57	57	57	57	59	61	67	72	74	73	73	72	71	66	65	62	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 132 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 71 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (82 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 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 56 minutes then, versus up to 132 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 132 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 132 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

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	72	104	100	86	75	74	71	70	70	75	76	79	64	59	58	57
Tue	56	78	123	125	94	80	72	69	67	70	77	83	84	70	60	58	57
Wed	56	77	120	115	91	77	72	69	68	71	76	85	87	70	61	58	57
Thu	56	76	121	117	92	79	74	70	71	74	82	90	88	75	61	58	57
Fri	57	68	84	83	75	69	71	72	74	78	86	85	83	73	65	60	58
Sat	57	57	58	59	60	65	73	79	78	79	79	79	79	74	67	62	58
Sun	57	57	57	57	59	61	67	72	74	73	73	72	71	66	65	62	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	72	104	100	86	75	74	71	70	70	75	76	79	64	59	58	57
Tue	56	78	123	125	94	80	72	69	67	70	77	83	84	70	60	58	57
Wed	56	77	120	115	91	77	72	69	68	71	76	85	87	70	61	58	57
Thu	56	76	121	117	92	79	74	70	71	74	82	90	88	75	61	58	57
Fri	57	68	84	83	75	69	71	72	74	78	86	85	83	73	65	60	58
Sat	57	57	58	59	60	65	73	79	78	79	79	79	79	74	67	62	58
Sun	57	57	57	57	59	61	67	72	74	73	73	72	71	66	65	62	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	72	104	100	86	75	74	71	70	70	75	76	79	64	59	58	57
Tue	56	78	123	125	94	80	72	69	67	70	77	83	84	70	60	58	57
Wed	56	77	120	115	91	77	72	69	68	71	76	85	87	70	61	58	57
Thu	56	76	121	117	92	79	74	70	71	74	82	90	88	75	61	58	57
Fri	57	68	84	83	75	69	71	72	74	78	86	85	83	73	65	60	58
Sat	57	57	58	59	60	65	73	79	78	79	79	79	79	74	67	62	58
Sun	57	57	57	57	59	61	67	72	74	73	73	72	71	66	65	62	57