Best Time to Drive from Santa Clara to Walnut Creek

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 52 minutes via I-680 North, usually 51 at this time.

Only 47% 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 Walnut Creek 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	48	52	56	56	54	52	52	53	57	71	69	68	59	50	48	47
Tue	47	48	53	60	59	57	53	51	51	58	75	78	78	69	61	49	47
Wed	47	49	52	58	58	57	53	51	52	60	76	81	80	70	61	51	47
Thu	47	49	53	60	58	56	52	50	51	62	77	82	83	69	64	52	47
Fri	47	48	51	53	53	51	51	51	54	67	78	78	71	58	52	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	48	49	50	50	50	52	51	51	49	50	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	47	48	49	49	50	50	50	49	50	50	50	49	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Santa Clara to Walnut Creek (via I-680 North) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 85 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 53 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (52 minutes).

About 40 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 Walnut Creek (North Main Street) 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 Walnut Creek?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 85 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Clara to Walnut Creek?

The 47-mile drive usually takes 47 to 85 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 53 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clara to Walnut Creek?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 85 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 North in Bay Area (32 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (7 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Walnut Creek 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 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	48	52	56	56	54	52	52	53	57	71	69	68	59	50	48	47
Tue	47	48	53	60	59	57	53	51	51	58	75	78	78	69	61	49	47
Wed	47	49	52	58	58	57	53	51	52	60	76	81	80	70	61	51	47
Thu	47	49	53	60	58	56	52	50	51	62	77	82	83	69	64	52	47
Fri	47	48	51	53	53	51	51	51	54	67	78	78	71	58	52	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	48	49	50	50	50	52	51	51	49	50	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	47	48	49	49	50	50	50	49	50	50	50	49	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	48	52	56	56	54	52	52	53	57	71	69	68	59	50	48	47
Tue	47	48	53	60	59	57	53	51	51	58	75	78	78	69	61	49	47
Wed	47	49	52	58	58	57	53	51	52	60	76	81	80	70	61	51	47
Thu	47	49	53	60	58	56	52	50	51	62	77	82	83	69	64	52	47
Fri	47	48	51	53	53	51	51	51	54	67	78	78	71	58	52	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	48	49	50	50	50	52	51	51	49	50	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	47	48	49	49	50	50	50	49	50	50	50	49	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	48	52	56	56	54	52	52	53	57	71	69	68	59	50	48	47
Tue	47	48	53	60	59	57	53	51	51	58	75	78	78	69	61	49	47
Wed	47	49	52	58	58	57	53	51	52	60	76	81	80	70	61	51	47
Thu	47	49	53	60	58	56	52	50	51	62	77	82	83	69	64	52	47
Fri	47	48	51	53	53	51	51	51	54	67	78	78	71	58	52	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	48	49	50	50	50	52	51	51	49	50	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	47	48	49	49	50	50	50	49	50	50	50	49	47