Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Santa Clara

Right now (8:52 pm PDT): about 33 minutes via SR-17 North, usually 33 at this time.

Only 60% 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 Santa Clara 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	33	33	35	39	40	36	37	36	36	36	38	43	43	40	34	34	33
Tue	33	33	36	45	43	38	36	36	35	36	41	44	49	43	36	34	33
Wed	33	33	37	47	43	38	36	36	36	36	41	44	47	44	38	34	33
Thu	33	33	36	45	42	37	37	35	36	37	42	45	47	43	36	34	33
Fri	33	33	35	36	36	37	37	37	36	39	44	45	44	41	35	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	36	36	38	41	43	41	39	39	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	38	38	38	39	40	40	39	37	37	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Santa Cruz to Santa Clara (via SR-17 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 50 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (11 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 50 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 32-mile drive usually takes 33 to 50 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 50 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 North in Bay Area (22 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (1.6 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clara 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	35	39	40	36	37	36	36	36	38	43	43	40	34	34	33
Tue	33	33	36	45	43	38	36	36	35	36	41	44	49	43	36	34	33
Wed	33	33	37	47	43	38	36	36	36	36	41	44	47	44	38	34	33
Thu	33	33	36	45	42	37	37	35	36	37	42	45	47	43	36	34	33
Fri	33	33	35	36	36	37	37	37	36	39	44	45	44	41	35	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	36	36	38	41	43	41	39	39	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	38	38	38	39	40	40	39	37	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	35	39	40	36	37	36	36	36	38	43	43	40	34	34	33
Tue	33	33	36	45	43	38	36	36	35	36	41	44	49	43	36	34	33
Wed	33	33	37	47	43	38	36	36	36	36	41	44	47	44	38	34	33
Thu	33	33	36	45	42	37	37	35	36	37	42	45	47	43	36	34	33
Fri	33	33	35	36	36	37	37	37	36	39	44	45	44	41	35	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	36	36	38	41	43	41	39	39	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	38	38	38	39	40	40	39	37	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	35	39	40	36	37	36	36	36	38	43	43	40	34	34	33
Tue	33	33	36	45	43	38	36	36	35	36	41	44	49	43	36	34	33
Wed	33	33	37	47	43	38	36	36	36	36	41	44	47	44	38	34	33
Thu	33	33	36	45	42	37	37	35	36	37	42	45	47	43	36	34	33
Fri	33	33	35	36	36	37	37	37	36	39	44	45	44	41	35	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	36	36	38	41	43	41	39	39	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	38	38	38	39	40	40	39	37	37	34