Best Time to Drive from Santa Clara to Hayward

Right now (6:47 am PDT): about 35 minutes via I-880 North, usually 37 at this time.

Only 53% 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 Hayward 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	30	32	36	39	39	37	35	34	36	40	54	50	52	45	35	31	30
Tue	30	32	38	41	40	39	36	34	35	41	55	59	62	55	46	33	30
Wed	30	32	36	40	40	39	36	34	36	44	56	60	62	58	46	34	30
Thu	30	32	37	40	40	38	35	35	36	44	57	60	62	56	48	35	30
Fri	30	31	34	35	36	34	34	35	36	46	56	58	55	47	39	33	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	33	33	33	36	36	37	36	35	33	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	32	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 27-mile drive from Santa Clara to Hayward (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 63 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

About 20 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (12 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 Hayward (Mission Boulevard) 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 Hayward?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 63 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 27-mile drive usually takes 30 to 63 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clara to Hayward?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 63 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (20 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Hayward to Santa Clara (return trip) · Santa Clara to San Francisco · Santa Clara to Oakland · Santa Clara to Palo Alto · Santa Clara to Berkeley · Santa Clara to Fremont · Santa Clara to Walnut Creek · Santa Clara to San Mateo · 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	30	32	36	39	39	37	35	34	36	40	54	50	52	45	35	31	30
Tue	30	32	38	41	40	39	36	34	35	41	55	59	62	55	46	33	30
Wed	30	32	36	40	40	39	36	34	36	44	56	60	62	58	46	34	30
Thu	30	32	37	40	40	38	35	35	36	44	57	60	62	56	48	35	30
Fri	30	31	34	35	36	34	34	35	36	46	56	58	55	47	39	33	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	33	33	33	36	36	37	36	35	33	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	32	36	39	39	37	35	34	36	40	54	50	52	45	35	31	30
Tue	30	32	38	41	40	39	36	34	35	41	55	59	62	55	46	33	30
Wed	30	32	36	40	40	39	36	34	36	44	56	60	62	58	46	34	30
Thu	30	32	37	40	40	38	35	35	36	44	57	60	62	56	48	35	30
Fri	30	31	34	35	36	34	34	35	36	46	56	58	55	47	39	33	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	33	33	33	36	36	37	36	35	33	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	32	36	39	39	37	35	34	36	40	54	50	52	45	35	31	30
Tue	30	32	38	41	40	39	36	34	35	41	55	59	62	55	46	33	30
Wed	30	32	36	40	40	39	36	34	36	44	56	60	62	58	46	34	30
Thu	30	32	37	40	40	38	35	35	36	44	57	60	62	56	48	35	30
Fri	30	31	34	35	36	34	34	35	36	46	56	58	55	47	39	33	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	33	33	33	36	36	37	36	35	33	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	32	30