Best Time to Drive from Santa Clara to Vacaville

Right now (9:35 pm PST): about 80 minutes via I-680 North, usually 77 at this time.

Only 51% 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 Vacaville 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	77	79	83	89	90	87	85	86	86	90	102	110	106	97	83	79	78
Tue	78	79	84	93	93	86	85	85	86	92	111	123	118	106	92	81	77
Wed	77	79	84	93	94	88	86	85	86	95	113	127	120	107	92	82	77
Thu	78	79	84	95	93	87	85	85	86	95	114	127	119	106	92	82	77
Fri	77	79	82	85	86	85	85	88	92	107	118	121	110	99	86	81	78
Sat	78	77	78	78	80	81	83	84	86	87	88	88	86	85	82	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	78	78	80	81	82	83	83	83	84	83	83	82	80	77

About this drive

On weekdays the 86-mile drive from Santa Clara to Vacaville (via I-680 North) usually takes as little as 77 minutes and up to 127 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (88 minutes).

About 81 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 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 to central Vacaville 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 Vacaville?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 77 minutes then, versus up to 127 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 86-mile drive usually takes 77 to 127 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clara to Vacaville?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 127 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 North in Bay Area (58 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (13 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (11 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Vacaville 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 SFO

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	79	83	89	90	87	85	86	86	90	102	110	106	97	83	79	78
Tue	78	79	84	93	93	86	85	85	86	92	111	123	118	106	92	81	77
Wed	77	79	84	93	94	88	86	85	86	95	113	127	120	107	92	82	77
Thu	78	79	84	95	93	87	85	85	86	95	114	127	119	106	92	82	77
Fri	77	79	82	85	86	85	85	88	92	107	118	121	110	99	86	81	78
Sat	78	77	78	78	80	81	83	84	86	87	88	88	86	85	82	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	78	78	80	81	82	83	83	83	84	83	83	82	80	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	79	83	89	90	87	85	86	86	90	102	110	106	97	83	79	78
Tue	78	79	84	93	93	86	85	85	86	92	111	123	118	106	92	81	77
Wed	77	79	84	93	94	88	86	85	86	95	113	127	120	107	92	82	77
Thu	78	79	84	95	93	87	85	85	86	95	114	127	119	106	92	82	77
Fri	77	79	82	85	86	85	85	88	92	107	118	121	110	99	86	81	78
Sat	78	77	78	78	80	81	83	84	86	87	88	88	86	85	82	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	78	78	80	81	82	83	83	83	84	83	83	82	80	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	79	83	89	90	87	85	86	86	90	102	110	106	97	83	79	78
Tue	78	79	84	93	93	86	85	85	86	92	111	123	118	106	92	81	77
Wed	77	79	84	93	94	88	86	85	86	95	113	127	120	107	92	82	77
Thu	78	79	84	95	93	87	85	85	86	95	114	127	119	106	92	82	77
Fri	77	79	82	85	86	85	85	88	92	107	118	121	110	99	86	81	78
Sat	78	77	78	78	80	81	83	84	86	87	88	88	86	85	82	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	78	78	80	81	82	83	83	83	84	83	83	82	80	77