Best Time to Drive from Santa Cruz to Walnut Creek

Right now (7:07 pm PST): about 76 minutes via I-680 North and SR-17 North and I-880 North, usually 77 at this time.

Only 71% 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 Walnut Creek 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	70	71	76	80	79	77	77	77	77	83	91	93	89	80	72	71	70
Tue	69	72	77	87	82	76	76	77	77	86	100	104	101	89	78	72	70
Wed	69	72	77	85	81	77	76	76	77	89	103	108	101	89	79	72	70
Thu	69	72	77	85	82	77	76	76	78	88	104	110	103	89	79	72	70
Fri	70	71	74	77	76	77	77	78	85	93	103	102	93	83	76	73	70
Sat	70	70	70	70	71	72	74	77	76	78	79	81	82	80	78	76	71
Sun	70	70	70	70	70	72	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	78	77	75	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 76-mile drive from Santa Cruz to Walnut Creek (via I-680 North and SR-17 North and I-880 North) usually takes as little as 69 minutes and up to 110 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 79 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (82 minutes).

About 70 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 13 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 Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 69 minutes then, versus up to 110 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Cruz to Walnut Creek?

The 76-mile drive usually takes 69 to 110 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 79 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Cruz to Walnut Creek?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 110 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 North in Bay Area (32 miles) · SR-17 North in Bay Area (22 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (14 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Walnut Creek 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	70	71	76	80	79	77	77	77	77	83	91	93	89	80	72	71	70
Tue	69	72	77	87	82	76	76	77	77	86	100	104	101	89	78	72	70
Wed	69	72	77	85	81	77	76	76	77	89	103	108	101	89	79	72	70
Thu	69	72	77	85	82	77	76	76	78	88	104	110	103	89	79	72	70
Fri	70	71	74	77	76	77	77	78	85	93	103	102	93	83	76	73	70
Sat	70	70	70	70	71	72	74	77	76	78	79	81	82	80	78	76	71
Sun	70	70	70	70	70	72	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	78	77	75	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	71	76	80	79	77	77	77	77	83	91	93	89	80	72	71	70
Tue	69	72	77	87	82	76	76	77	77	86	100	104	101	89	78	72	70
Wed	69	72	77	85	81	77	76	76	77	89	103	108	101	89	79	72	70
Thu	69	72	77	85	82	77	76	76	78	88	104	110	103	89	79	72	70
Fri	70	71	74	77	76	77	77	78	85	93	103	102	93	83	76	73	70
Sat	70	70	70	70	71	72	74	77	76	78	79	81	82	80	78	76	71
Sun	70	70	70	70	70	72	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	78	77	75	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	71	76	80	79	77	77	77	77	83	91	93	89	80	72	71	70
Tue	69	72	77	87	82	76	76	77	77	86	100	104	101	89	78	72	70
Wed	69	72	77	85	81	77	76	76	77	89	103	108	101	89	79	72	70
Thu	69	72	77	85	82	77	76	76	78	88	104	110	103	89	79	72	70
Fri	70	71	74	77	76	77	77	78	85	93	103	102	93	83	76	73	70
Sat	70	70	70	70	71	72	74	77	76	78	79	81	82	80	78	76	71
Sun	70	70	70	70	70	72	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	78	77	75	71