Best Time to Drive from Santa Clara to Richmond

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 60 minutes via I-880 North, usually 58 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 Santa Clara to Richmond 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	51	55	61	69	65	61	60	59	61	71	87	86	84	69	58	53	51
Tue	51	54	62	76	67	63	60	58	60	72	90	99	96	80	69	56	51
Wed	51	54	61	74	66	63	60	59	61	74	92	102	97	83	69	57	51
Thu	51	54	62	77	67	61	59	58	60	73	95	102	99	83	72	59	51
Fri	51	54	59	63	60	58	59	61	66	83	96	99	90	74	64	55	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	53	56	59	62	64	66	66	65	62	58	57	55	51
Sun	51	51	51	52	52	54	55	57	59	59	59	58	57	58	56	56	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Santa Clara to Richmond (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 51 minutes and up to 103 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 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (67 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (11 to 23 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 Richmond (Macdonald Avenue) 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 Richmond?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 51 minutes then, versus up to 103 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 53-mile drive usually takes 51 to 103 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clara to Richmond?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 103 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (39 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (4 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Richmond 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 Hayward · Santa Clara to Pleasanton · 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	51	55	61	69	65	61	60	59	61	71	87	86	84	69	58	53	51
Tue	51	54	62	76	67	63	60	58	60	72	90	99	96	80	69	56	51
Wed	51	54	61	74	66	63	60	59	61	74	92	102	97	83	69	57	51
Thu	51	54	62	77	67	61	59	58	60	73	95	102	99	83	72	59	51
Fri	51	54	59	63	60	58	59	61	66	83	96	99	90	74	64	55	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	53	56	59	62	64	66	66	65	62	58	57	55	51
Sun	51	51	51	52	52	54	55	57	59	59	59	58	57	58	56	56	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	55	61	69	65	61	60	59	61	71	87	86	84	69	58	53	51
Tue	51	54	62	76	67	63	60	58	60	72	90	99	96	80	69	56	51
Wed	51	54	61	74	66	63	60	59	61	74	92	102	97	83	69	57	51
Thu	51	54	62	77	67	61	59	58	60	73	95	102	99	83	72	59	51
Fri	51	54	59	63	60	58	59	61	66	83	96	99	90	74	64	55	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	53	56	59	62	64	66	66	65	62	58	57	55	51
Sun	51	51	51	52	52	54	55	57	59	59	59	58	57	58	56	56	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	55	61	69	65	61	60	59	61	71	87	86	84	69	58	53	51
Tue	51	54	62	76	67	63	60	58	60	72	90	99	96	80	69	56	51
Wed	51	54	61	74	66	63	60	59	61	74	92	102	97	83	69	57	51
Thu	51	54	62	77	67	61	59	58	60	73	95	102	99	83	72	59	51
Fri	51	54	59	63	60	58	59	61	66	83	96	99	90	74	64	55	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	53	56	59	62	64	66	66	65	62	58	57	55	51
Sun	51	51	51	52	52	54	55	57	59	59	59	58	57	58	56	56	51