Best Time to Drive from Santa Clara to SFO

Right now (1:18 pm PDT): about 39 minutes via US-101 North, usually 35 at this time.

Only 58% 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 SFO 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	31	33	37	45	42	38	35	35	34	35	39	40	43	38	34	32	32
Tue	31	32	37	49	51	42	37	35	34	35	40	46	48	45	39	33	33
Wed	31	32	38	49	47	41	36	35	34	36	40	44	47	45	38	34	32
Thu	31	32	38	49	46	41	37	34	34	36	41	44	48	45	40	33	33
Fri	31	32	36	41	38	35	35	34	34	37	40	42	44	39	35	33	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	32	34	35	34	36	34	35	35	35	34	34	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	33	33	34	34	34	34	34	33	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Santa Clara to SFO (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 11 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 San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (Departures) 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 SFO?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 53 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 33-mile drive usually takes 31 to 53 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clara to SFO?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 53 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (30 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

SFO 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 Richmond · 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	31	33	37	45	42	38	35	35	34	35	39	40	43	38	34	32	32
Tue	31	32	37	49	51	42	37	35	34	35	40	46	48	45	39	33	33
Wed	31	32	38	49	47	41	36	35	34	36	40	44	47	45	38	34	32
Thu	31	32	38	49	46	41	37	34	34	36	41	44	48	45	40	33	33
Fri	31	32	36	41	38	35	35	34	34	37	40	42	44	39	35	33	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	32	34	35	34	36	34	35	35	35	34	34	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	33	33	34	34	34	34	34	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	33	37	45	42	38	35	35	34	35	39	40	43	38	34	32	32
Tue	31	32	37	49	51	42	37	35	34	35	40	46	48	45	39	33	33
Wed	31	32	38	49	47	41	36	35	34	36	40	44	47	45	38	34	32
Thu	31	32	38	49	46	41	37	34	34	36	41	44	48	45	40	33	33
Fri	31	32	36	41	38	35	35	34	34	37	40	42	44	39	35	33	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	32	34	35	34	36	34	35	35	35	34	34	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	33	33	34	34	34	34	34	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	33	37	45	42	38	35	35	34	35	39	40	43	38	34	32	32
Tue	31	32	37	49	51	42	37	35	34	35	40	46	48	45	39	33	33
Wed	31	32	38	49	47	41	36	35	34	36	40	44	47	45	38	34	32
Thu	31	32	38	49	46	41	37	34	34	36	41	44	48	45	40	33	33
Fri	31	32	36	41	38	35	35	34	34	37	40	42	44	39	35	33	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	32	34	35	34	36	34	35	35	35	34	34	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	33	33	34	34	34	34	34	33	31