Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Brentwood

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 95 minutes via SR-17 North and I-880 North.

Only 48% 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 Brentwood 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	95	104	104	111	111	106	106	105	103	108	156	160	150	109	98	97	95
Tue	95	100	103	116	114	106	105	104	102	113	160	169	156	121	105	97	95
Wed	95	100	105	117	114	108	105	103	103	110	164	172	168	136	107	97	95
Thu	95	102	104	113	113	105	102	101	102	111	142	160	158	127	108	98	95
Fri	96	103	104	108	106	106	106	106	117	154	174	166	139	115	103	101	95
Sat	96	96	97	97	97	98	100	103	101	102	104	107	109	106	103	101	96
Sun	96	95	95	96	97	98	101	102	103	105	105	107	108	106	103	102	96

About this drive

On weekdays the 86-mile drive from Santa Cruz to Brentwood (via SR-17 North and I-880 North) usually takes as little as 95 minutes and up to 174 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 107 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (109 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 35 miles surface streets (50 to 112 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 Brentwood 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 Brentwood?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 95 minutes then, versus up to 174 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 86-mile drive usually takes 95 to 174 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 107 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Brentwood?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 174 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 North in Bay Area (22 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (14 miles) · I-680 North in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Brentwood 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 Berkeley · Santa Cruz to Richmond

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	95	104	104	111	111	106	106	105	103	108	156	160	150	109	98	97	95
Tue	95	100	103	116	114	106	105	104	102	113	160	169	156	121	105	97	95
Wed	95	100	105	117	114	108	105	103	103	110	164	172	168	136	107	97	95
Thu	95	102	104	113	113	105	102	101	102	111	142	160	158	127	108	98	95
Fri	96	103	104	108	106	106	106	106	117	154	174	166	139	115	103	101	95
Sat	96	96	97	97	97	98	100	103	101	102	104	107	109	106	103	101	96
Sun	96	95	95	96	97	98	101	102	103	105	105	107	108	106	103	102	96

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	95	104	104	111	111	106	106	105	103	108	156	160	150	109	98	97	95
Tue	95	100	103	116	114	106	105	104	102	113	160	169	156	121	105	97	95
Wed	95	100	105	117	114	108	105	103	103	110	164	172	168	136	107	97	95
Thu	95	102	104	113	113	105	102	101	102	111	142	160	158	127	108	98	95
Fri	96	103	104	108	106	106	106	106	117	154	174	166	139	115	103	101	95
Sat	96	96	97	97	97	98	100	103	101	102	104	107	109	106	103	101	96
Sun	96	95	95	96	97	98	101	102	103	105	105	107	108	106	103	102	96

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	95	104	104	111	111	106	106	105	103	108	156	160	150	109	98	97	95
Tue	95	100	103	116	114	106	105	104	102	113	160	169	156	121	105	97	95
Wed	95	100	105	117	114	108	105	103	103	110	164	172	168	136	107	97	95
Thu	95	102	104	113	113	105	102	101	102	111	142	160	158	127	108	98	95
Fri	96	103	104	108	106	106	106	106	117	154	174	166	139	115	103	101	95
Sat	96	96	97	97	97	98	100	103	101	102	104	107	109	106	103	101	96
Sun	96	95	95	96	97	98	101	102	103	105	105	107	108	106	103	102	96