Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Berkeley

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 95 minutes via US-101 North and SR-17 North, usually 100 at this time.

Only 40% 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 Cruz to Berkeley 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	78	88	108	111	95	89	88	87	88	98	99	105	99	86	81	79	79
Tue	78	90	115	122	106	96	89	86	89	100	101	111	105	92	85	80	80
Wed	77	89	117	119	104	95	90	88	89	99	105	115	107	92	84	80	79
Thu	78	89	117	120	106	95	89	88	91	102	106	114	109	95	86	81	81
Fri	78	85	98	99	89	93	94	95	100	112	114	118	108	95	86	81	78
Sat	78	78	79	79	82	90	94	95	96	100	99	103	98	94	89	86	79
Sun	78	78	78	78	80	88	91	96	98	100	99	100	97	94	88	84	79

About this drive

On weekdays the 84-mile drive from Santa Cruz to Berkeley (via US-101 North and SR-17 North) usually takes as little as 77 minutes and up to 126 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 92 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (103 minutes).

About 76 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (11 to 29 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Cruz to central Berkeley 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 Cruz to Berkeley?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 77 minutes then, versus up to 126 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Cruz to Berkeley?

The 84-mile drive usually takes 77 to 126 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 92 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Berkeley?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 126 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (37 miles) · SR-17 North in Bay Area (18 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (14 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (7 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Berkeley to Santa Cruz (return trip) · Santa Cruz to San Jose · Santa Cruz to San Francisco · Santa Cruz to Oakland · Santa Cruz to Fremont · Santa Cruz to Hayward · Santa Cruz to Salinas · Santa Cruz to Sunnyvale · Santa Cruz to Concord · Santa Cruz to Santa Clara · Santa Cruz to Richmond · Santa Cruz to San Mateo

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	78	88	108	111	95	89	88	87	88	98	99	105	99	86	81	79	79
Tue	78	90	115	122	106	96	89	86	89	100	101	111	105	92	85	80	80
Wed	77	89	117	119	104	95	90	88	89	99	105	115	107	92	84	80	79
Thu	78	89	117	120	106	95	89	88	91	102	106	114	109	95	86	81	81
Fri	78	85	98	99	89	93	94	95	100	112	114	118	108	95	86	81	78
Sat	78	78	79	79	82	90	94	95	96	100	99	103	98	94	89	86	79
Sun	78	78	78	78	80	88	91	96	98	100	99	100	97	94	88	84	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	78	88	108	111	95	89	88	87	88	98	99	105	99	86	81	79	79
Tue	78	90	115	122	106	96	89	86	89	100	101	111	105	92	85	80	80
Wed	77	89	117	119	104	95	90	88	89	99	105	115	107	92	84	80	79
Thu	78	89	117	120	106	95	89	88	91	102	106	114	109	95	86	81	81
Fri	78	85	98	99	89	93	94	95	100	112	114	118	108	95	86	81	78
Sat	78	78	79	79	82	90	94	95	96	100	99	103	98	94	89	86	79
Sun	78	78	78	78	80	88	91	96	98	100	99	100	97	94	88	84	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	78	88	108	111	95	89	88	87	88	98	99	105	99	86	81	79	79
Tue	78	90	115	122	106	96	89	86	89	100	101	111	105	92	85	80	80
Wed	77	89	117	119	104	95	90	88	89	99	105	115	107	92	84	80	79
Thu	78	89	117	120	106	95	89	88	91	102	106	114	109	95	86	81	81
Fri	78	85	98	99	89	93	94	95	100	112	114	118	108	95	86	81	78
Sat	78	78	79	79	82	90	94	95	96	100	99	103	98	94	89	86	79
Sun	78	78	78	78	80	88	91	96	98	100	99	100	97	94	88	84	79