Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to San Mateo

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 63 minutes via SR-17 North and US-101 North and SR-85 North, usually 57 at this time.

Only 79% 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 San Mateo 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	54	63	70	62	58	57	56	56	58	61	62	63	56	54	53	53
Tue	51	54	67	78	72	64	57	56	55	59	62	67	69	62	56	53	53
Wed	51	54	68	76	71	62	58	57	56	59	63	68	68	61	56	53	53
Thu	51	54	68	79	71	62	57	56	56	59	64	68	68	62	56	53	53
Fri	51	53	58	62	58	58	58	57	57	61	63	64	63	58	55	54	52
Sat	52	52	52	52	53	55	56	57	57	58	59	61	64	61	59	60	53
Sun	52	52	52	52	52	54	56	57	57	58	59	60	60	58	57	57	53

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Santa Cruz to San Mateo (via SR-17 North and US-101 North and SR-85 North) usually takes as little as 51 minutes and up to 79 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 57 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (64 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 12 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 San Mateo 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 San Mateo?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 51 minutes then, versus up to 79 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Cruz to San Mateo?

The 55-mile drive usually takes 51 to 79 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 57 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to San Mateo?

Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 79 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

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

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Mateo 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	54	63	70	62	58	57	56	56	58	61	62	63	56	54	53	53
Tue	51	54	67	78	72	64	57	56	55	59	62	67	69	62	56	53	53
Wed	51	54	68	76	71	62	58	57	56	59	63	68	68	61	56	53	53
Thu	51	54	68	79	71	62	57	56	56	59	64	68	68	62	56	53	53
Fri	51	53	58	62	58	58	58	57	57	61	63	64	63	58	55	54	52
Sat	52	52	52	52	53	55	56	57	57	58	59	61	64	61	59	60	53
Sun	52	52	52	52	52	54	56	57	57	58	59	60	60	58	57	57	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	54	63	70	62	58	57	56	56	58	61	62	63	56	54	53	53
Tue	51	54	67	78	72	64	57	56	55	59	62	67	69	62	56	53	53
Wed	51	54	68	76	71	62	58	57	56	59	63	68	68	61	56	53	53
Thu	51	54	68	79	71	62	57	56	56	59	64	68	68	62	56	53	53
Fri	51	53	58	62	58	58	58	57	57	61	63	64	63	58	55	54	52
Sat	52	52	52	52	53	55	56	57	57	58	59	61	64	61	59	60	53
Sun	52	52	52	52	52	54	56	57	57	58	59	60	60	58	57	57	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	54	63	70	62	58	57	56	56	58	61	62	63	56	54	53	53
Tue	51	54	67	78	72	64	57	56	55	59	62	67	69	62	56	53	53
Wed	51	54	68	76	71	62	58	57	56	59	63	68	68	61	56	53	53
Thu	51	54	68	79	71	62	57	56	56	59	64	68	68	62	56	53	53
Fri	51	53	58	62	58	58	58	57	57	61	63	64	63	58	55	54	52
Sat	52	52	52	52	53	55	56	57	57	58	59	61	64	61	59	60	53
Sun	52	52	52	52	52	54	56	57	57	58	59	60	60	58	57	57	53