Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Richmond

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 95 minutes via US-101 North and SR-17 North, usually 97 at this time.

Only 38% 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	108	112	98	92	91	89	89	100	102	108	104	90	85	83	82
Tue	81	91	114	123	107	98	91	89	90	101	109	117	112	95	88	83	83
Wed	81	91	115	120	106	96	92	90	91	102	111	120	115	97	88	83	83
Thu	81	92	116	123	106	97	91	89	91	104	112	121	116	100	89	85	84
Fri	81	88	99	99	93	93	93	93	99	111	117	119	110	96	89	84	82
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	91	93	95	95	97	97	99	96	93	91	89	82
Sun	81	81	81	81	83	87	90	94	95	95	96	96	94	93	90	87	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 126 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 93 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (99 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 21 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 126 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 126 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 93 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Richmond?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 126 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 · Santa Cruz to San Mateo

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	108	112	98	92	91	89	89	100	102	108	104	90	85	83	82
Tue	81	91	114	123	107	98	91	89	90	101	109	117	112	95	88	83	83
Wed	81	91	115	120	106	96	92	90	91	102	111	120	115	97	88	83	83
Thu	81	92	116	123	106	97	91	89	91	104	112	121	116	100	89	85	84
Fri	81	88	99	99	93	93	93	93	99	111	117	119	110	96	89	84	82
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	91	93	95	95	97	97	99	96	93	91	89	82
Sun	81	81	81	81	83	87	90	94	95	95	96	96	94	93	90	87	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	82	91	108	112	98	92	91	89	89	100	102	108	104	90	85	83	82
Tue	81	91	114	123	107	98	91	89	90	101	109	117	112	95	88	83	83
Wed	81	91	115	120	106	96	92	90	91	102	111	120	115	97	88	83	83
Thu	81	92	116	123	106	97	91	89	91	104	112	121	116	100	89	85	84
Fri	81	88	99	99	93	93	93	93	99	111	117	119	110	96	89	84	82
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	91	93	95	95	97	97	99	96	93	91	89	82
Sun	81	81	81	81	83	87	90	94	95	95	96	96	94	93	90	87	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	82	91	108	112	98	92	91	89	89	100	102	108	104	90	85	83	82
Tue	81	91	114	123	107	98	91	89	90	101	109	117	112	95	88	83	83
Wed	81	91	115	120	106	96	92	90	91	102	111	120	115	97	88	83	83
Thu	81	92	116	123	106	97	91	89	91	104	112	121	116	100	89	85	84
Fri	81	88	99	99	93	93	93	93	99	111	117	119	110	96	89	84	82
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	91	93	95	95	97	97	99	96	93	91	89	82
Sun	81	81	81	81	83	87	90	94	95	95	96	96	94	93	90	87	82