Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Salinas

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 39 minutes via SR-1 South, usually 39 at this time.

Only 61% 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 Salinas 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	37	38	38	39	38	39	39	40	43	47	60	68	68	50	38	38	37
Tue	37	39	38	39	39	39	40	40	46	49	59	70	66	51	40	38	37
Wed	37	39	38	39	39	39	40	41	46	51	62	70	67	56	42	39	37
Thu	37	39	38	40	39	39	39	41	44	49	64	75	69	55	40	38	37
Fri	37	38	38	39	39	39	40	42	51	58	67	77	73	51	41	38	37
Sat	37	37	37	37	38	39	41	43	49	47	48	45	44	40	39	38	38
Sun	37	37	37	37	38	39	39	41	41	41	41	40	40	39	38	38	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from Santa Cruz to Salinas (via SR-1 South) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 77 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 12 pm or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 44 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (14 to 24 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 Salinas 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 Salinas?

On weekdays, leave before 12 pm or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 77 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 36-mile drive usually takes 37 to 77 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 44 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Salinas?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 77 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-1 South in Bay Area (16 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Salinas 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 Sunnyvale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	38	38	39	38	39	39	40	43	47	60	68	68	50	38	38	37
Tue	37	39	38	39	39	39	40	40	46	49	59	70	66	51	40	38	37
Wed	37	39	38	39	39	39	40	41	46	51	62	70	67	56	42	39	37
Thu	37	39	38	40	39	39	39	41	44	49	64	75	69	55	40	38	37
Fri	37	38	38	39	39	39	40	42	51	58	67	77	73	51	41	38	37
Sat	37	37	37	37	38	39	41	43	49	47	48	45	44	40	39	38	38
Sun	37	37	37	37	38	39	39	41	41	41	41	40	40	39	38	38	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	38	38	39	38	39	39	40	43	47	60	68	68	50	38	38	37
Tue	37	39	38	39	39	39	40	40	46	49	59	70	66	51	40	38	37
Wed	37	39	38	39	39	39	40	41	46	51	62	70	67	56	42	39	37
Thu	37	39	38	40	39	39	39	41	44	49	64	75	69	55	40	38	37
Fri	37	38	38	39	39	39	40	42	51	58	67	77	73	51	41	38	37
Sat	37	37	37	37	38	39	41	43	49	47	48	45	44	40	39	38	38
Sun	37	37	37	37	38	39	39	41	41	41	41	40	40	39	38	38	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	38	38	39	38	39	39	40	43	47	60	68	68	50	38	38	37
Tue	37	39	38	39	39	39	40	40	46	49	59	70	66	51	40	38	37
Wed	37	39	38	39	39	39	40	41	46	51	62	70	67	56	42	39	37
Thu	37	39	38	40	39	39	39	41	44	49	64	75	69	55	40	38	37
Fri	37	38	38	39	39	39	40	42	51	58	67	77	73	51	41	38	37
Sat	37	37	37	37	38	39	41	43	49	47	48	45	44	40	39	38	38
Sun	37	37	37	37	38	39	39	41	41	41	41	40	40	39	38	38	37