Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Richmond

Right now (7:06 pm PDT): about 119 minutes via US-101 North and SR-17 North, usually 89 at this time.

Only 74% 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 Richmond 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	82	91	109	111	98	92	91	89	90	103	105	110	104	89	85	83	83
Tue	81	91	115	123	108	99	91	89	90	103	111	121	115	95	88	84	83
Wed	81	92	116	119	106	96	92	90	90	104	115	126	117	96	88	84	83
Thu	82	93	117	123	107	97	91	89	92	106	117	129	118	98	89	84	84
Fri	81	88	99	101	93	93	94	94	101	116	121	123	111	96	89	85	82
Sat	82	82	82	83	86	92	95	96	98	101	99	101	99	95	91	90	82
Sun	81	81	81	82	83	88	91	96	96	96	96	95	94	93	90	88	82

About this drive

On weekdays the 89-mile drive from Santa Cruz to Richmond (via US-101 North and SR-17 North) usually takes as little as 81 minutes and up to 130 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. 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 (101 minutes).

About 80 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (11 to 22 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 Richmond 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 Richmond?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 81 minutes then, versus up to 130 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 89-mile drive usually takes 81 to 130 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 94 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Richmond?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 130 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 (11 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Richmond 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	82	91	109	111	98	92	91	89	90	103	105	110	104	89	85	83	83
Tue	81	91	115	123	108	99	91	89	90	103	111	121	115	95	88	84	83
Wed	81	92	116	119	106	96	92	90	90	104	115	126	117	96	88	84	83
Thu	82	93	117	123	107	97	91	89	92	106	117	129	118	98	89	84	84
Fri	81	88	99	101	93	93	94	94	101	116	121	123	111	96	89	85	82
Sat	82	82	82	83	86	92	95	96	98	101	99	101	99	95	91	90	82
Sun	81	81	81	82	83	88	91	96	96	96	96	95	94	93	90	88	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	82	91	109	111	98	92	91	89	90	103	105	110	104	89	85	83	83
Tue	81	91	115	123	108	99	91	89	90	103	111	121	115	95	88	84	83
Wed	81	92	116	119	106	96	92	90	90	104	115	126	117	96	88	84	83
Thu	82	93	117	123	107	97	91	89	92	106	117	129	118	98	89	84	84
Fri	81	88	99	101	93	93	94	94	101	116	121	123	111	96	89	85	82
Sat	82	82	82	83	86	92	95	96	98	101	99	101	99	95	91	90	82
Sun	81	81	81	82	83	88	91	96	96	96	96	95	94	93	90	88	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	82	91	109	111	98	92	91	89	90	103	105	110	104	89	85	83	83
Tue	81	91	115	123	108	99	91	89	90	103	111	121	115	95	88	84	83
Wed	81	92	116	119	106	96	92	90	90	104	115	126	117	96	88	84	83
Thu	82	93	117	123	107	97	91	89	92	106	117	129	118	98	89	84	84
Fri	81	88	99	101	93	93	94	94	101	116	121	123	111	96	89	85	82
Sat	82	82	82	83	86	92	95	96	98	101	99	101	99	95	91	90	82
Sun	81	81	81	82	83	88	91	96	96	96	96	95	94	93	90	88	82