Best Time to Drive from Seaside to San Jose

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 83 minutes via US-101 North, usually 75 at this time.

Only 73% 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 Seaside to San Jose 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	67	89	89	86	77	73	72	73	71	72	72	76	75	69	66	66	65
Tue	66	93	93	88	79	74	71	70	70	71	73	76	75	70	67	65	65
Wed	66	92	91	86	79	75	72	71	71	72	73	76	75	71	67	66	65
Thu	66	90	91	86	80	72	71	71	71	72	73	76	77	71	67	66	65
Fri	65	77	83	78	72	72	72	72	72	72	73	75	77	72	67	66	65
Sat	64	65	65	66	67	70	73	75	73	74	74	74	74	73	71	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	66	67	70	73	77	76	76	77	77	75	72	69	65

About this drive

On weekdays the 70-mile drive from Seaside to San Jose (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 65 minutes and up to 96 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 71 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Sundays (78 minutes).

About 62 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (10 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Seaside to downtown San Jose 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 Seaside to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 65 minutes then, versus up to 96 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Seaside to San Jose?

The 70-mile drive usually takes 65 to 96 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 71 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Seaside to San Jose?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 96 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (27 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (7 miles) · SR-87 North in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Jose to Seaside (return trip)

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	89	89	86	77	73	72	73	71	72	72	76	75	69	66	66	65
Tue	66	93	93	88	79	74	71	70	70	71	73	76	75	70	67	65	65
Wed	66	92	91	86	79	75	72	71	71	72	73	76	75	71	67	66	65
Thu	66	90	91	86	80	72	71	71	71	72	73	76	77	71	67	66	65
Fri	65	77	83	78	72	72	72	72	72	72	73	75	77	72	67	66	65
Sat	64	65	65	66	67	70	73	75	73	74	74	74	74	73	71	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	66	67	70	73	77	76	76	77	77	75	72	69	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	89	89	86	77	73	72	73	71	72	72	76	75	69	66	66	65
Tue	66	93	93	88	79	74	71	70	70	71	73	76	75	70	67	65	65
Wed	66	92	91	86	79	75	72	71	71	72	73	76	75	71	67	66	65
Thu	66	90	91	86	80	72	71	71	71	72	73	76	77	71	67	66	65
Fri	65	77	83	78	72	72	72	72	72	72	73	75	77	72	67	66	65
Sat	64	65	65	66	67	70	73	75	73	74	74	74	74	73	71	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	66	67	70	73	77	76	76	77	77	75	72	69	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	89	89	86	77	73	72	73	71	72	72	76	75	69	66	66	65
Tue	66	93	93	88	79	74	71	70	70	71	73	76	75	70	67	65	65
Wed	66	92	91	86	79	75	72	71	71	72	73	76	75	71	67	66	65
Thu	66	90	91	86	80	72	71	71	71	72	73	76	77	71	67	66	65
Fri	65	77	83	78	72	72	72	72	72	72	73	75	77	72	67	66	65
Sat	64	65	65	66	67	70	73	75	73	74	74	74	74	73	71	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	66	67	70	73	77	76	76	77	77	75	72	69	65