Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Palo Alto

Right now (12:50 am PST): about 42 minutes via SR-17 North and SR-85 North.

Only 56% 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 Palo Alto 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	41	43	50	59	53	47	45	44	44	45	48	50	52	46	43	42	41
Tue	41	43	54	67	64	54	47	45	44	46	48	54	53	48	45	42	41
Wed	41	42	54	64	64	52	47	45	44	46	50	57	53	49	45	42	41
Thu	41	42	54	65	63	52	46	45	45	47	50	55	54	50	46	42	42
Fri	41	42	46	49	47	46	46	46	46	47	50	55	53	48	46	43	41
Sat	41	41	41	42	42	43	44	45	44	45	46	49	50	50	47	47	42
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	43	44	46	46	47	47	49	49	48	45	45	42

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Santa Cruz to Palo Alto (via SR-17 North and SR-85 North) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 70 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 19 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 Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 70 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Cruz to Palo Alto?

The 43-mile drive usually takes 41 to 70 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 70 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 North in Bay Area (18 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (14 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palo Alto 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	41	43	50	59	53	47	45	44	44	45	48	50	52	46	43	42	41
Tue	41	43	54	67	64	54	47	45	44	46	48	54	53	48	45	42	41
Wed	41	42	54	64	64	52	47	45	44	46	50	57	53	49	45	42	41
Thu	41	42	54	65	63	52	46	45	45	47	50	55	54	50	46	42	42
Fri	41	42	46	49	47	46	46	46	46	47	50	55	53	48	46	43	41
Sat	41	41	41	42	42	43	44	45	44	45	46	49	50	50	47	47	42
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	43	44	46	46	47	47	49	49	48	45	45	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	43	50	59	53	47	45	44	44	45	48	50	52	46	43	42	41
Tue	41	43	54	67	64	54	47	45	44	46	48	54	53	48	45	42	41
Wed	41	42	54	64	64	52	47	45	44	46	50	57	53	49	45	42	41
Thu	41	42	54	65	63	52	46	45	45	47	50	55	54	50	46	42	42
Fri	41	42	46	49	47	46	46	46	46	47	50	55	53	48	46	43	41
Sat	41	41	41	42	42	43	44	45	44	45	46	49	50	50	47	47	42
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	43	44	46	46	47	47	49	49	48	45	45	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	43	50	59	53	47	45	44	44	45	48	50	52	46	43	42	41
Tue	41	43	54	67	64	54	47	45	44	46	48	54	53	48	45	42	41
Wed	41	42	54	64	64	52	47	45	44	46	50	57	53	49	45	42	41
Thu	41	42	54	65	63	52	46	45	45	47	50	55	54	50	46	42	42
Fri	41	42	46	49	47	46	46	46	46	47	50	55	53	48	46	43	41
Sat	41	41	41	42	42	43	44	45	44	45	46	49	50	50	47	47	42
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	43	44	46	46	47	47	49	49	48	45	45	42