Best Time to Drive from Santa Clara to Watsonville

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 56 minutes via SR-17 South and SR-1 South, usually 54 at this time.

Only 66% 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 Watsonville 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	47	48	52	53	51	51	52	55	61	71	80	75	59	48	48	47
Tue	47	47	48	52	54	51	51	53	57	62	74	82	81	63	54	48	47
Wed	47	47	48	53	55	51	51	52	58	65	76	82	77	65	53	49	47
Thu	47	47	48	52	54	51	51	53	55	65	77	83	80	62	53	48	47
Fri	47	47	48	50	50	50	51	56	64	71	82	83	77	61	50	48	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	50	53	56	57	57	56	54	53	49	48	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	51	51	52	51	51	50	49	49	49	48	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 49-mile drive from Santa Clara to Watsonville (via SR-17 South and SR-1 South) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 84 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 42 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 21 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 Watsonville 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 Watsonville?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 84 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 49-mile drive usually takes 46 to 84 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clara to Watsonville?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 South in Bay Area (22 miles) · SR-1 South in Bay Area (16 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Watsonville 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	47	47	48	52	53	51	51	52	55	61	71	80	75	59	48	48	47
Tue	47	47	48	52	54	51	51	53	57	62	74	82	81	63	54	48	47
Wed	47	47	48	53	55	51	51	52	58	65	76	82	77	65	53	49	47
Thu	47	47	48	52	54	51	51	53	55	65	77	83	80	62	53	48	47
Fri	47	47	48	50	50	50	51	56	64	71	82	83	77	61	50	48	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	50	53	56	57	57	56	54	53	49	48	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	51	51	52	51	51	50	49	49	49	48	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	47	48	52	53	51	51	52	55	61	71	80	75	59	48	48	47
Tue	47	47	48	52	54	51	51	53	57	62	74	82	81	63	54	48	47
Wed	47	47	48	53	55	51	51	52	58	65	76	82	77	65	53	49	47
Thu	47	47	48	52	54	51	51	53	55	65	77	83	80	62	53	48	47
Fri	47	47	48	50	50	50	51	56	64	71	82	83	77	61	50	48	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	50	53	56	57	57	56	54	53	49	48	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	51	51	52	51	51	50	49	49	49	48	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	47	48	52	53	51	51	52	55	61	71	80	75	59	48	48	47
Tue	47	47	48	52	54	51	51	53	57	62	74	82	81	63	54	48	47
Wed	47	47	48	53	55	51	51	52	58	65	76	82	77	65	53	49	47
Thu	47	47	48	52	54	51	51	53	55	65	77	83	80	62	53	48	47
Fri	47	47	48	50	50	50	51	56	64	71	82	83	77	61	50	48	47
Sat	47	47	47	47	48	50	53	56	57	57	56	54	53	49	48	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	51	51	52	51	51	50	49	49	49	48	47