Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Oakland
Right now (7:35 pm PST): about 80 minutes via I-880 North and SR-17 North, usually 73 at this time.
Only 71% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 65 | 69 | 79 | 85 | 78 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 81 | 89 | 92 | 92 | 83 | 71 | 67 | 66 |
| Tue | 64 | 68 | 82 | 93 | 81 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 81 | 95 | 104 | 104 | 91 | 78 | 68 | 65 |
| Wed | 64 | 68 | 81 | 92 | 80 | 75 | 75 | 74 | 78 | 83 | 96 | 105 | 104 | 92 | 79 | 68 | 65 |
| Thu | 64 | 68 | 83 | 94 | 81 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 76 | 84 | 98 | 107 | 105 | 91 | 78 | 68 | 66 |
| Fri | 65 | 69 | 76 | 79 | 74 | 74 | 76 | 76 | 79 | 86 | 97 | 99 | 95 | 85 | 77 | 69 | 65 |
| Sat | 65 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 69 | 72 | 74 | 74 | 77 | 78 | 80 | 82 | 78 | 75 | 73 | 66 |
| Sun | 65 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 68 | 70 | 73 | 73 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 76 | 73 | 71 | 66 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 70-mile drive from Santa Cruz to Oakland (via I-880 North and SR-17 North) usually takes as little as 64 minutes and up to 107 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 77 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (82 minutes).
About 64 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (9 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Cruz to downtown Oakland 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 Oakland?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 64 minutes then, versus up to 107 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Santa Cruz to Oakland?
The 70-mile drive usually takes 64 to 107 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 77 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Oakland?
Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 107 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-880 North in Bay Area (41 miles) · SR-17 North in Bay Area (22 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow
More drives
Oakland to Santa Cruz (return trip) · Santa Cruz to San Jose · Santa Cruz to San Francisco · 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 · Santa Cruz to San Mateo