Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Berkeley

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 82 minutes via US-101 North and SR-17 North, usually 80 at this time.

Only 76% 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	79	89	108	110	94	90	89	88	89	99	101	107	99	85	82	80	79
Tue	79	91	116	122	107	97	89	86	89	102	103	115	106	92	85	80	80
Wed	77	90	117	119	104	95	90	89	89	101	109	121	109	92	84	80	80
Thu	78	88	117	124	106	96	90	90	92	104	112	124	113	94	86	81	81
Fri	78	85	98	101	89	93	94	97	102	116	120	121	108	94	85	81	78
Sat	78	78	79	80	83	92	96	97	100	104	101	105	102	97	90	87	79
Sun	78	78	78	78	80	89	93	99	99	100	100	100	98	95	90	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 94 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (105 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 94 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	89	108	110	94	90	89	88	89	99	101	107	99	85	82	80	79
Tue	79	91	116	122	107	97	89	86	89	102	103	115	106	92	85	80	80
Wed	77	90	117	119	104	95	90	89	89	101	109	121	109	92	84	80	80
Thu	78	88	117	124	106	96	90	90	92	104	112	124	113	94	86	81	81
Fri	78	85	98	101	89	93	94	97	102	116	120	121	108	94	85	81	78
Sat	78	78	79	80	83	92	96	97	100	104	101	105	102	97	90	87	79
Sun	78	78	78	78	80	89	93	99	99	100	100	100	98	95	90	84	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	89	108	110	94	90	89	88	89	99	101	107	99	85	82	80	79
Tue	79	91	116	122	107	97	89	86	89	102	103	115	106	92	85	80	80
Wed	77	90	117	119	104	95	90	89	89	101	109	121	109	92	84	80	80
Thu	78	88	117	124	106	96	90	90	92	104	112	124	113	94	86	81	81
Fri	78	85	98	101	89	93	94	97	102	116	120	121	108	94	85	81	78
Sat	78	78	79	80	83	92	96	97	100	104	101	105	102	97	90	87	79
Sun	78	78	78	78	80	89	93	99	99	100	100	100	98	95	90	84	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	89	108	110	94	90	89	88	89	99	101	107	99	85	82	80	79
Tue	79	91	116	122	107	97	89	86	89	102	103	115	106	92	85	80	80
Wed	77	90	117	119	104	95	90	89	89	101	109	121	109	92	84	80	80
Thu	78	88	117	124	106	96	90	90	92	104	112	124	113	94	86	81	81
Fri	78	85	98	101	89	93	94	97	102	116	120	121	108	94	85	81	78
Sat	78	78	79	80	83	92	96	97	100	104	101	105	102	97	90	87	79
Sun	78	78	78	78	80	89	93	99	99	100	100	100	98	95	90	84	79