Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Pleasanton

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 77 minutes via SR-17 North and I-880 North and I-680 North, usually 72 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

Minutes from Santa Cruz to Pleasanton 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	52	58	64	65	61	59	59	58	58	62	69	71	71	64	55	54	53
Tue	52	59	65	72	66	58	58	58	57	62	72	78	80	73	63	54	53
Wed	52	58	63	69	64	59	58	58	58	63	74	79	79	73	63	54	53
Thu	52	57	63	69	67	59	57	57	58	64	74	81	81	72	63	54	53
Fri	52	54	55	58	58	58	59	59	60	66	73	74	69	65	58	55	53
Sat	53	53	53	53	54	54	56	59	59	61	62	65	67	66	61	60	54
Sun	53	53	53	53	53	55	57	58	59	60	62	63	64	61	59	58	54

About this drive

On weekdays the 56-mile drive from Santa Cruz to Pleasanton (via SR-17 North and I-880 North and I-680 North) usually takes as little as 52 minutes and up to 83 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 59 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (67 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 18 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 Pleasanton 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 Pleasanton?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 52 minutes then, versus up to 83 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 56-mile drive usually takes 52 to 83 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 59 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Pleasanton?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 83 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 (12 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Pleasanton 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	52	58	64	65	61	59	59	58	58	62	69	71	71	64	55	54	53
Tue	52	59	65	72	66	58	58	58	57	62	72	78	80	73	63	54	53
Wed	52	58	63	69	64	59	58	58	58	63	74	79	79	73	63	54	53
Thu	52	57	63	69	67	59	57	57	58	64	74	81	81	72	63	54	53
Fri	52	54	55	58	58	58	59	59	60	66	73	74	69	65	58	55	53
Sat	53	53	53	53	54	54	56	59	59	61	62	65	67	66	61	60	54
Sun	53	53	53	53	53	55	57	58	59	60	62	63	64	61	59	58	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	58	64	65	61	59	59	58	58	62	69	71	71	64	55	54	53
Tue	52	59	65	72	66	58	58	58	57	62	72	78	80	73	63	54	53
Wed	52	58	63	69	64	59	58	58	58	63	74	79	79	73	63	54	53
Thu	52	57	63	69	67	59	57	57	58	64	74	81	81	72	63	54	53
Fri	52	54	55	58	58	58	59	59	60	66	73	74	69	65	58	55	53
Sat	53	53	53	53	54	54	56	59	59	61	62	65	67	66	61	60	54
Sun	53	53	53	53	53	55	57	58	59	60	62	63	64	61	59	58	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	58	64	65	61	59	59	58	58	62	69	71	71	64	55	54	53
Tue	52	59	65	72	66	58	58	58	57	62	72	78	80	73	63	54	53
Wed	52	58	63	69	64	59	58	58	58	63	74	79	79	73	63	54	53
Thu	52	57	63	69	67	59	57	57	58	64	74	81	81	72	63	54	53
Fri	52	54	55	58	58	58	59	59	60	66	73	74	69	65	58	55	53
Sat	53	53	53	53	54	54	56	59	59	61	62	65	67	66	61	60	54
Sun	53	53	53	53	53	55	57	58	59	60	62	63	64	61	59	58	54