Best Time to Drive from Santa Clara to Berkeley

Right now (12:17 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via I-880 North, usually 55 at this time.

Only 48% 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 Santa Clara to Berkeley 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	47	50	57	66	61	56	55	54	55	59	73	71	72	64	54	49	47
Tue	47	50	59	73	65	59	54	53	54	60	74	80	81	74	65	52	47
Wed	46	50	58	71	62	58	55	54	55	63	74	81	82	76	64	53	47
Thu	47	50	59	74	64	57	54	53	54	62	77	82	83	76	67	54	47
Fri	47	49	53	59	56	53	54	54	56	67	77	79	75	64	57	50	47
Sat	47	48	49	49	50	52	55	55	55	57	56	57	57	54	54	52	47
Sun	47	47	47	50	50	52	53	54	54	54	54	53	53	55	54	53	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Santa Clara to Berkeley (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 84 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (58 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (13 to 26 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Clara (Lincoln Street) to central Berkeley (Martin Luther King Junior Way) 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 Santa Clara to Berkeley?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 84 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Clara to Berkeley?

The 46-mile drive usually takes 46 to 84 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clara to Berkeley?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (36 miles) · I-980 East in Bay Area (1.8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Berkeley to Santa Clara (return trip) · Santa Clara to San Francisco · Santa Clara to Oakland · Santa Clara to Palo Alto · Santa Clara to Fremont · Santa Clara to Walnut Creek · Santa Clara to San Mateo · Santa Clara to Hayward · Santa Clara to Pleasanton · Santa Clara to Richmond · Santa Clara to SFO · Santa Clara 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	47	50	57	66	61	56	55	54	55	59	73	71	72	64	54	49	47
Tue	47	50	59	73	65	59	54	53	54	60	74	80	81	74	65	52	47
Wed	46	50	58	71	62	58	55	54	55	63	74	81	82	76	64	53	47
Thu	47	50	59	74	64	57	54	53	54	62	77	82	83	76	67	54	47
Fri	47	49	53	59	56	53	54	54	56	67	77	79	75	64	57	50	47
Sat	47	48	49	49	50	52	55	55	55	57	56	57	57	54	54	52	47
Sun	47	47	47	50	50	52	53	54	54	54	54	53	53	55	54	53	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	50	57	66	61	56	55	54	55	59	73	71	72	64	54	49	47
Tue	47	50	59	73	65	59	54	53	54	60	74	80	81	74	65	52	47
Wed	46	50	58	71	62	58	55	54	55	63	74	81	82	76	64	53	47
Thu	47	50	59	74	64	57	54	53	54	62	77	82	83	76	67	54	47
Fri	47	49	53	59	56	53	54	54	56	67	77	79	75	64	57	50	47
Sat	47	48	49	49	50	52	55	55	55	57	56	57	57	54	54	52	47
Sun	47	47	47	50	50	52	53	54	54	54	54	53	53	55	54	53	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	50	57	66	61	56	55	54	55	59	73	71	72	64	54	49	47
Tue	47	50	59	73	65	59	54	53	54	60	74	80	81	74	65	52	47
Wed	46	50	58	71	62	58	55	54	55	63	74	81	82	76	64	53	47
Thu	47	50	59	74	64	57	54	53	54	62	77	82	83	76	67	54	47
Fri	47	49	53	59	56	53	54	54	56	67	77	79	75	64	57	50	47
Sat	47	48	49	49	50	52	55	55	55	57	56	57	57	54	54	52	47
Sun	47	47	47	50	50	52	53	54	54	54	54	53	53	55	54	53	47