Best Time to Drive from San Rafael to Santa Clara

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 80 minutes via I-880 South and I-580 West, usually 82 at this time.

Only 44% 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 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	58	72	113	105	89	76	72	70	69	72	78	80	81	67	60	59	58
Tue	57	78	136	130	98	82	73	69	69	71	78	83	85	72	62	59	58
Wed	57	76	132	122	95	79	73	71	70	73	78	85	89	74	63	59	58
Thu	57	77	133	124	96	81	76	71	73	76	85	89	91	77	63	59	59
Fri	58	68	90	85	77	71	73	73	76	78	85	85	85	76	68	61	59
Sat	58	58	59	60	61	68	75	81	80	82	81	80	81	75	68	64	60
Sun	58	58	58	58	60	63	70	74	77	76	76	75	75	73	70	65	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 64-mile drive from San Rafael to Santa Clara (via I-880 South and I-580 West) usually takes as little as 57 minutes and up to 136 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 72 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (83 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 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Rafael to central Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 57 minutes then, versus up to 136 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 64-mile drive usually takes 57 to 136 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 72 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Rafael to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 136 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

Santa Clara to San Rafael (return trip) · San Rafael to San Jose · 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 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	58	72	113	105	89	76	72	70	69	72	78	80	81	67	60	59	58
Tue	57	78	136	130	98	82	73	69	69	71	78	83	85	72	62	59	58
Wed	57	76	132	122	95	79	73	71	70	73	78	85	89	74	63	59	58
Thu	57	77	133	124	96	81	76	71	73	76	85	89	91	77	63	59	59
Fri	58	68	90	85	77	71	73	73	76	78	85	85	85	76	68	61	59
Sat	58	58	59	60	61	68	75	81	80	82	81	80	81	75	68	64	60
Sun	58	58	58	58	60	63	70	74	77	76	76	75	75	73	70	65	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	72	113	105	89	76	72	70	69	72	78	80	81	67	60	59	58
Tue	57	78	136	130	98	82	73	69	69	71	78	83	85	72	62	59	58
Wed	57	76	132	122	95	79	73	71	70	73	78	85	89	74	63	59	58
Thu	57	77	133	124	96	81	76	71	73	76	85	89	91	77	63	59	59
Fri	58	68	90	85	77	71	73	73	76	78	85	85	85	76	68	61	59
Sat	58	58	59	60	61	68	75	81	80	82	81	80	81	75	68	64	60
Sun	58	58	58	58	60	63	70	74	77	76	76	75	75	73	70	65	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	72	113	105	89	76	72	70	69	72	78	80	81	67	60	59	58
Tue	57	78	136	130	98	82	73	69	69	71	78	83	85	72	62	59	58
Wed	57	76	132	122	95	79	73	71	70	73	78	85	89	74	63	59	58
Thu	57	77	133	124	96	81	76	71	73	76	85	89	91	77	63	59	59
Fri	58	68	90	85	77	71	73	73	76	78	85	85	85	76	68	61	59
Sat	58	58	59	60	61	68	75	81	80	82	81	80	81	75	68	64	60
Sun	58	58	58	58	60	63	70	74	77	76	76	75	75	73	70	65	58