Best Time to Drive from SFO to Santa Clara

Right now (1:18 pm PDT): about 34 minutes via US-101 South, usually 34 at this time.

Only 50% 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 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	31	32	36	45	45	37	35	35	36	39	43	46	48	40	36	33	32
Tue	31	32	36	51	55	43	37	35	36	40	49	58	60	49	38	33	32
Wed	31	32	36	50	50	41	36	36	35	41	50	58	62	48	39	33	32
Thu	31	32	36	49	48	40	35	35	35	41	52	59	65	50	41	34	32
Fri	31	32	34	37	37	35	35	36	36	42	46	50	46	39	37	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	35	34	34	35	36	37	39	34	34	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	35	34	34	33	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from SFO to Santa Clara (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 65 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (39 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 10 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 central Santa Clara (Lincoln 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 Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 65 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 33-mile drive usually takes 31 to 65 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from SFO to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 65 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (29 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	36	45	45	37	35	35	36	39	43	46	48	40	36	33	32
Tue	31	32	36	51	55	43	37	35	36	40	49	58	60	49	38	33	32
Wed	31	32	36	50	50	41	36	36	35	41	50	58	62	48	39	33	32
Thu	31	32	36	49	48	40	35	35	35	41	52	59	65	50	41	34	32
Fri	31	32	34	37	37	35	35	36	36	42	46	50	46	39	37	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	35	34	34	35	36	37	39	34	34	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	35	34	34	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	36	45	45	37	35	35	36	39	43	46	48	40	36	33	32
Tue	31	32	36	51	55	43	37	35	36	40	49	58	60	49	38	33	32
Wed	31	32	36	50	50	41	36	36	35	41	50	58	62	48	39	33	32
Thu	31	32	36	49	48	40	35	35	35	41	52	59	65	50	41	34	32
Fri	31	32	34	37	37	35	35	36	36	42	46	50	46	39	37	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	35	34	34	35	36	37	39	34	34	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	35	34	34	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	36	45	45	37	35	35	36	39	43	46	48	40	36	33	32
Tue	31	32	36	51	55	43	37	35	36	40	49	58	60	49	38	33	32
Wed	31	32	36	50	50	41	36	36	35	41	50	58	62	48	39	33	32
Thu	31	32	36	49	48	40	35	35	35	41	52	59	65	50	41	34	32
Fri	31	32	34	37	37	35	35	36	36	42	46	50	46	39	37	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	35	34	34	35	36	37	39	34	34	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	35	34	34	33	32