Best Time to Drive from SFO to San Jose

Right now (5:50 pm PST): about 56 minutes via US-101 South, usually 43 at this time.

Only 23% 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 SFO 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	33	34	37	44	45	38	38	37	38	41	47	53	54	44	38	35	34
Tue	33	34	36	50	52	42	39	37	37	41	54	65	68	54	40	35	34
Wed	33	33	37	50	50	41	38	38	38	43	55	66	70	54	41	35	34
Thu	33	34	37	49	50	42	38	37	38	43	54	64	70	53	43	36	34
Fri	33	34	35	38	38	37	37	38	38	43	51	56	53	43	41	38	33
Sat	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	37	38	38	38	36	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	36	37	36	36	35	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from SFO to San Jose (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 72 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.8 miles surface streets (3 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (Departures) to downtown San Jose (East Santa Clara Street) 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 SFO to San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 72 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 37-mile drive usually takes 33 to 72 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from SFO to San Jose?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 72 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (32 miles) · SR-87 South in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Jose to SFO (return trip) · SFO to OAK · SFO to SJC · SFO to San Francisco · SFO to Oakland · SFO to Palo Alto · SFO to Berkeley · SFO to Fremont · SFO to Walnut Creek · SFO to Mountain View · SFO to Pleasanton · SFO to Santa Clara

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	34	37	44	45	38	38	37	38	41	47	53	54	44	38	35	34
Tue	33	34	36	50	52	42	39	37	37	41	54	65	68	54	40	35	34
Wed	33	33	37	50	50	41	38	38	38	43	55	66	70	54	41	35	34
Thu	33	34	37	49	50	42	38	37	38	43	54	64	70	53	43	36	34
Fri	33	34	35	38	38	37	37	38	38	43	51	56	53	43	41	38	33
Sat	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	37	38	38	38	36	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	36	37	36	36	35	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	37	44	45	38	38	37	38	41	47	53	54	44	38	35	34
Tue	33	34	36	50	52	42	39	37	37	41	54	65	68	54	40	35	34
Wed	33	33	37	50	50	41	38	38	38	43	55	66	70	54	41	35	34
Thu	33	34	37	49	50	42	38	37	38	43	54	64	70	53	43	36	34
Fri	33	34	35	38	38	37	37	38	38	43	51	56	53	43	41	38	33
Sat	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	37	38	38	38	36	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	36	37	36	36	35	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	37	44	45	38	38	37	38	41	47	53	54	44	38	35	34
Tue	33	34	36	50	52	42	39	37	37	41	54	65	68	54	40	35	34
Wed	33	33	37	50	50	41	38	38	38	43	55	66	70	54	41	35	34
Thu	33	34	37	49	50	42	38	37	38	43	54	64	70	53	43	36	34
Fri	33	34	35	38	38	37	37	38	38	43	51	56	53	43	41	38	33
Sat	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	37	38	38	38	36	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	36	37	36	36	35	34